Trent Ruble's Blog: The Other Way It Is - Posts Tagged "courting"
How I Found Her
Every now and then a date becomes a permanent marker in one's life; a turning point. It's a time when life changes direction and is never the same again. One of those turning points occurred in my life on February 1st, 1988. When I woke up that morning I had no idea what was about to happen.
I went to work second shift at the Huntington Police Department, just as I always did. My partner that day was Officer Patrick Scher. Early in the shift we were called to the home of Jack Hess, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, for a VIN check. This is something required when bringing a car from out of state to be titled in Indiana. When we arrived at the pastor's home we found the car, a brown 1980 Chevrolet Citation hatchback with Florida plates, parked in the garage. It was only necessary for one of us to do the paperwork so, while Pat completed the required forms, I gravitated toward the cute girl in the back of the car. She was all the way in the back with the hatch closed rooting around through the contents. She then looked up at me with a big smile while holding a pair of men's boxers. That big smile hooked me! But, Pat was finished and it was time to leave. I said goodbye and wasn't sure I'd see her again.
As Pat and I drove around the city, I revealed to him that I thought the girl we met at the VIN check was cute. He said he already knew that from watching me talk to her through the closed hatch. Since we'd learned that she was the Director of Christian Education at the church, he suggested I contact Pastor Hess who was also the County Police Chaplain. So, I called the chaplain on the radio and then met with him in person. When I told him I was interested in the girl, he told me she was a great girl and her name was Tami. However, he explained that she was probably not going to be interested in me as she'd recently been involved in a relationship that didn't end well. But, he agreed to talk to her and get back to me.
I waited the rest of that day and then all of the following day without hearing from Pastor Hess. I'd been the wallflower type for most of my young life, but had recently made a conscious decision to ignore my shyness and be bold when it came to the opposite sex. So, on the next day, I called Tami at work and asked her to meet me for a drink. She didn't like that idea until I explained that I meant a "soft" drink. She agreed and we arranged to meet at Arby's that evening. She warned me that she might be late because she had an appointment in Fort Wayne right after work.
Between the time I talked to Tami on the telephone and the time of our "date," a severe snowstorm moved through the area. Even so, she was right on time. We talked for hours. Eleven months later, on the last day of the year, we were married. Now, nearly 25 years later, I'm still hooked by that big smile! We're still together and anxiously awaiting the next 25 or more. She is truly my companion whom I love dearly. It's been a wonderful life.
I went to work second shift at the Huntington Police Department, just as I always did. My partner that day was Officer Patrick Scher. Early in the shift we were called to the home of Jack Hess, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, for a VIN check. This is something required when bringing a car from out of state to be titled in Indiana. When we arrived at the pastor's home we found the car, a brown 1980 Chevrolet Citation hatchback with Florida plates, parked in the garage. It was only necessary for one of us to do the paperwork so, while Pat completed the required forms, I gravitated toward the cute girl in the back of the car. She was all the way in the back with the hatch closed rooting around through the contents. She then looked up at me with a big smile while holding a pair of men's boxers. That big smile hooked me! But, Pat was finished and it was time to leave. I said goodbye and wasn't sure I'd see her again.
As Pat and I drove around the city, I revealed to him that I thought the girl we met at the VIN check was cute. He said he already knew that from watching me talk to her through the closed hatch. Since we'd learned that she was the Director of Christian Education at the church, he suggested I contact Pastor Hess who was also the County Police Chaplain. So, I called the chaplain on the radio and then met with him in person. When I told him I was interested in the girl, he told me she was a great girl and her name was Tami. However, he explained that she was probably not going to be interested in me as she'd recently been involved in a relationship that didn't end well. But, he agreed to talk to her and get back to me.
I waited the rest of that day and then all of the following day without hearing from Pastor Hess. I'd been the wallflower type for most of my young life, but had recently made a conscious decision to ignore my shyness and be bold when it came to the opposite sex. So, on the next day, I called Tami at work and asked her to meet me for a drink. She didn't like that idea until I explained that I meant a "soft" drink. She agreed and we arranged to meet at Arby's that evening. She warned me that she might be late because she had an appointment in Fort Wayne right after work.
Between the time I talked to Tami on the telephone and the time of our "date," a severe snowstorm moved through the area. Even so, she was right on time. We talked for hours. Eleven months later, on the last day of the year, we were married. Now, nearly 25 years later, I'm still hooked by that big smile! We're still together and anxiously awaiting the next 25 or more. She is truly my companion whom I love dearly. It's been a wonderful life.
The Other Way It Is
The stories and opinions of author Trent Ruble.
Find Trent Ruble on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/taruble/ ...more
Find Trent Ruble on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/taruble/ ...more
- Trent Ruble's profile
- 17 followers
