SECOND CHANCES

Once upon a March 4th dreary
Two folks pondered, weak and weary,
How love had mistreated them thus far
As they soothed their souls at a local bar...

Add a "twang, twang" and it might have had all the markings of a hit country western song ...back in the 80s.

It is, actually, the first verse of a poem I penned on or just slightly before  March 4, 1981, marking the one year anniversary of the day my husband, John, and I met.

Met again, I should say.

We had actually been introduced many months earlier on a blind date set up by my then-best friend. Apparently not impressed with each other that evening, we never spoke again until fate threw us together that cold, snowy March night.

And, wouldn't you know, we were both on the rebound, our respective hearts recently and equally broken.

He, a writer, strong and able

Happened by the writer's table

Where she, an ornery but kind-hearted lass

Spilled gallons of tears into her glass...

I never did handle rejection well. And, in retrospect,  the half dozen Seagram and 7 Ups I had just downed in seemingly a matter of minutes did nothing to help keep my emotions in check that evening.

Anyway, cutting to the chase...John prevented me from drunk dialing my ex beau, we talked for hours, we were engaged by the 20th of May, married on August 23, had our one and only child, Daniel, on March 2, 1993 and -- against all odds -- John and I are still together.

Just think...Thirty-four years ago this morning, neither one of us had any idea how our lives would be changed forever later that night...

To say it hasn't all been easy would, of course, be an understatement.

But isn't that what makes for a great country western song, or any kind of love song, for that matter?

Here's to broken hearts, fate and second chances!

Happy 34th anniversary of the day we met again, darlin'!

Twang, Twang