Thirty two years ago today I got married. It was on a Friday, in the afternoon, after work. I was in the Navy stationed in Groton, Conn. That was long before the big casino was built there and the local tribe, the Mohegans, were pretty much poor folks. We rented an apartment in Norwich and it was in Norwich that the ceremony took place. It was performed by a justice of the peace. I'd say that justice did a right fine job of it, we're still together, so it must have took ! Well I knew it would when I married her, call it a hunch if you like, but I just knew it.
Thirty two years sounds like a long time but it isn't really. Oh, there are times when it does, when you start remembering all the places we have been since then. Being a military family we sure did move around a lot. After Conn. we went to North Carolina were I was a recruiter. We lived in a small town called Statesville. Nice little place and I got to come home every night. From there we went to Louisiana. There I worked on the LCAC program. LCAC stands for, Landing Craft Air Cushioned and it was something new back then, still in development. After that it was on to the USS Nitro out of Earle New Jersey. That's when we moved to Greensboro Maryland. I knew I would be going to sea a lot and I wasn't about to have my boys living in New Jersey ! Why anyone from Long Island knows what living in New Jersey is. Nothing but crime and bad drivers ! Well not my wife and children. And so we have been in Greensboro ever since. All that took thirty two years. But when I look at my wife's smiling face in the morning it is just like yesterday. All I see in her eyes in the future, always have and expect I always will.
Today the plan is to go see my grandson Mark play in a soccer game. He is fifteen. Thirty two years ago I couldn't have imagined that. We would have a grandson 15 years old ! Doesn't seem like it has been enough time for that, not to mention the two granddaughters. But generation are usually twenty years. At least that is what the average is. My boys are second generation and the grandkids third. When you look at it by generation it does seem like a long time. I find the best way to view that is not by generations but by gaining new friends. Yes, they are my grandkids but they are my little friends first. Of course that little friend that is the grandson is almost as tall as I am and taller than his grandmother. No matter, they will always be kids to us, just like our own are.
I wouldn't do it all again however. No sir, that is because I don't want a do-ever, it has been just perfect that way it was. It has been the way the it was supposed to be. No sense messing around with what works I say. My fondest prayer is that it all remains the same. I believe I got it right this time. There are some things that you should never change. She has been all I ever expected and more.
Thirty two years sounds like a long time but it isn't really. Oh, there are times when it does, when you start remembering all the places we have been since then. Being a military family we sure did move around a lot. After Conn. we went to North Carolina were I was a recruiter. We lived in a small town called Statesville. Nice little place and I got to come home every night. From there we went to Louisiana. There I worked on the LCAC program. LCAC stands for, Landing Craft Air Cushioned and it was something new back then, still in development. After that it was on to the USS Nitro out of Earle New Jersey. That's when we moved to Greensboro Maryland. I knew I would be going to sea a lot and I wasn't about to have my boys living in New Jersey ! Why anyone from Long Island knows what living in New Jersey is. Nothing but crime and bad drivers ! Well not my wife and children. And so we have been in Greensboro ever since. All that took thirty two years. But when I look at my wife's smiling face in the morning it is just like yesterday. All I see in her eyes in the future, always have and expect I always will.
Today the plan is to go see my grandson Mark play in a soccer game. He is fifteen. Thirty two years ago I couldn't have imagined that. We would have a grandson 15 years old ! Doesn't seem like it has been enough time for that, not to mention the two granddaughters. But generation are usually twenty years. At least that is what the average is. My boys are second generation and the grandkids third. When you look at it by generation it does seem like a long time. I find the best way to view that is not by generations but by gaining new friends. Yes, they are my grandkids but they are my little friends first. Of course that little friend that is the grandson is almost as tall as I am and taller than his grandmother. No matter, they will always be kids to us, just like our own are.
I wouldn't do it all again however. No sir, that is because I don't want a do-ever, it has been just perfect that way it was. It has been the way the it was supposed to be. No sense messing around with what works I say. My fondest prayer is that it all remains the same. I believe I got it right this time. There are some things that you should never change. She has been all I ever expected and more.
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