Thank you Eunice Kennedy Shriver

Sometime in 1977 or 1978, Donna Smith, the prettiest girl I'd ever seen up to that point in my short life, approached me in the hallway at St. Paul Catholic High School. Donna was tall and athletic with a sweet, round face like a ragdoll cat's. Her hair was long and brown, and she looked a lot like Susan Day in the Partridge Family. Unlike Susan Day, Donna also had really cute ears. I'd never noticed anybody's ears before.

Donna asked me if I could help her with something. She could have aske...