We all know why and how we celebrate the 4th of July. Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1776, freedom, John Hancock, picnics, family get togethers, parades, all kinds of celebrations and remembrance's. And of course fire works!!
My question to you is, do you have any special memories when you celebrated the Fourth??
Mine began in 1982 with a conversation I overhead my daughter Brenda and her boyfriend Pat talking about finding a friend of theirs a date. Jokingly, I said, "Why don't you find someone for me??" (I had been divorced since 1977 and really didn't date.) So....I gave them a long list of things, such as, he couldn't drink, he couldn't be married or in a relationship, he had to be good looking with a nice personality...etc... (you get the picture...lol) So, they were thinking, they'd think of someone, then say "no, he drinks"..this went on for awhile. Then Pat said, my Dad's best friend "Tom" has just moved back into town, I think he'd be perfect! So, long story short, his dad asked Tom to come over for a picnic to celebrate the Fourth and to meet a friend of Pat's. (It was actually the 5th of July, 1982, per my diary.) It was a rainy day, but they had fantastic food off the grill and sweet corn out of his garden. And both of my kids were there. So it was a fun day. Afterwards "Tom" took me to a local restaurant for coffee and conversation.. There was just something about him that put me at ease after our first "hello". I had never felt that comfortable around someone I didn't know in my entire life. (God was working his magic!!)
Here his is along his 1964 Comet!
Ten days later on the 15th, he called and asked me out. (Of course you know I said "yes"..) The next night we went and saw the movie "Firefox", went out to eat, then rode around. He showed me his bus he was working on (below) and I showed him where my friend Char and I go to suntan down by the river.
The next day, he came down to the river where my friend Char and I were sunbathing and wanted to spend some time together. We went to my house, along with my daughter, Brenda. I got cleaned up and we took Brenda over to where her boyfriend worked and dropped her off. (He was getting off work.) Then we went to the Tastee Inn and Out and had something to eat. Afterwards we went over my friend Char's house to help them celebrate her husband's birthday.
And that was the last time I saw him until September 11th of that year. My friends Curt and Char would take me and we'd go to this bar and listen to the music. (Char and I never drank, and Curt might have a beer...otherwise we were pop drinkers..smile..) It was fun, the bands were great and to watch the dancers. That night I saw Tom walk by our table and he never said a word...nothing...no "Hi"...nothing... I was devastated.. I told Char, "I want to go home..." So, out the door we went... They wanted to stop at a local restaurant for coffee first. I agreed...but was still pouting..ha..ha... I don't think it was but a few minutes, in the door comes Tom. He comes over to our table and says he didn't see us until we were walking out the door.
(And of course the rest is history... we were a couple of steady Eddies from then on...) He said, when we met in July he wasn't working, (he was an Iron Worker) and didn't think it would be fair to start dating someone when he didn't have a job. He finally got a job working on the new Post Office, so after that every time I'd see the Post Office I'd remember these time...
Here is Tom and my son Randy on the 4th of July 1983... One year later!!
Happy 4th Everyone.. Would love to hear your favorite memory of the Fourth!!
