While at the Rison local hang out a couple of days ago the old timers were talking about a local legend that all of them remembered. One of his traits was that he self medicated himself with some of the alcohol beverages available to him here.

Once when he had just finished a real serious self treatment, he was feeling so bad that he went home. Crying he asked his wife to pray for him. She was a very serious spiritual lady. They both knelt by the bed and she began to pray. "Oh, God please help Gary (the name is changed just in case a cousin reads this). He needs Your help. He is drunk and feels really bad... Gary interrupts her at this point and says "Oh Honey, don't tell Him I'm drunk. I just have a drinking problem."

Yes he did...

Gary,

So you've been giving me a hard time about the young lady in my avatar - who is that with you your daughter?

Hi Gary,

How did you get that beautiful young lady to stay still long enough for someone to take a picture?

Dennis, we were on a cruise for that picture and she was sea sick... I think I had my hand on her waist holding her up...

Dale, I really am almost old enough to be her daddy. I was a 31 year old divorcee and she was a 22 year old lady. I still don't know why her mom let her marry me. My good fortune though. Will be 35 years this coming August...

This is not about scooters or motors of any kind... but... I want to tell you another true story about how I met my wife... if this bores you, you can always change the channel...

In March of 1975, I had been divorced for a little while and had begun to get out socially a little... I was dating another young girl that worked for Southwestern Bell Telephone. Name was Francis .. Francis was a wild and crazy girl that did a lot of things to get my mind off of the problems I was having at the time... she left town on a trip to Tulsa and while she was gone, I had a date with another female friend. A good friend from work and I double dated one evening and the ladies left for a few minutes and while they were gone, I asked Mike to call Francis to see if she had made it back from Tulsa. I gave him the number and listened as he dialed the number and began a conversation. Soon he told me that "this girl says she is not Francis." That sounded like something Francis would say so I took the phone expecting to talk to her. Lo and behold, it was not. It was Debbie. Her number was one digit off, so we talked for about a minute and I hung up. Later in the week, I got a little lonely so, I could remember the "wrong number" and I redialed it and Debbie answered and that time we talked for about an hour. The original plan was to be just phone pals. And we were for about a month. We talked (I mainly listened) many hours on many days and nights. Then one night as I said good night, She said that she really did want to meet me face to face. That was a little dangerous but I gave her directions to my apartment and she came over. When I opened the door and saw her for the first time, chimes began... man, she was beautiful, soft, smelled good and I already knew she could cook... about 4 months later we were married on August 23rd 1975 at 2:00 in the afternoon... I treated her like a queen for our honeymoon, we went to see Blazing Saddles. What more could she want?
Now I get to ride the scoot with her on the back and she is still beautiful, still soft, still smells good and we eat out a lot.

As a side note: Francis had installed Debbies phone a couple of weeks before we met.

Great story ... loved reading.

Opalsboy wrote:

about 4 months later we were married on August 23rd 1975 at 2:00 in the afternoon... I treated her like a queen for our honeymoon, we went to see Blazing Saddles. What more could she want?

The movie "Blazin Saddles" or is this a double entendre.

Lili Von Shtupp: "How womantic."

Very sweet. And, it is important to keep these kinds of memories and stories front and center.

Kim and I are High School sweethearts and will celebrate our 34th anniversary this coming august 14. I have never regretted only dating one woman and am extremely blessed.

Bill I had to look up your "double entendre" ... that is not used much in my neck of the woods... but after thinking more about it, there may have been a little entendreing back then, I can't remember... However, I still love that movie. Mel Brooks is insane.

Dale, I am glad to know that you are NOT 22. I was worried about you. Kim does look 22. That is a blessing to find each other so early in life and still be in love 34 years later. Today the life expectancy of a young marriage is about 34 months.

I was really a one woman man myself... I always tried to not date two on the same day ... couldn't always pull that off though. There were a lot of Franchises out there but only one Debbie. As Lili said... "it's twue, it's twue"

I agree with you about the blessing to find the mate God has meant for you.

I also believe as a couple that is experiencing and working through a successful marriage that Kim and I are obligated out of obedience to share with and work with young married couples. Marriage disciples if you will.

Great movie for you fellows to buy and bring home along with a meal and flowers for a date night - "No Greater Love". Yes it is a movie with a Christian theme, it is a movie about the glory of marriage and forgiveness and grace.

and if I recall correctlyLili said that in a later movie and with a different character name...

Mel Brooks is one of my favorite screen play writers / comedy writers. He wrote "The Producers" which must be watched in the original 1968 production only with Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder! "Was iz dis babee, De Fuhrer never said babee - Kill zee actors"

Dale, have yall seen "Fireproof"? Just watched it last weekend... great movie... I think it was part of the series produced by a Baptist group in GA. I will try to find the "No Greater Love".

Thanks Bill... I have seen them all... all of them have powerful message... I have a son in law that is a fireman in Little Rock. My other son in law and daughter have lived the Fireproof theme. There were times in watching the movie that I thought they must have been technical advisers for the film. Both are very committed Christians now.
I know this is a scooter forum that has members of different faiths and I respect that.
As a Christian, I just get fired up with emotions when I watch a story like these.
My dad was a carpenter, but the carpenter from Bethlehem is my inspiration for the way I want to live and love.

I have seen all of the Sherwood movies and even own two of them. No Greater Love is available at Wal*Mart - a friend of ours wrote the screen play so I'm biased, but still would think it is a good movie.