RE: Common Threads: How has the pursuit of love changed the course of your life?
@joshua-pace, first off... love that you're doing this series; this is a fantastic form of community engagement so "yay" and re-steeming!
My "pursuit of love" story is really too long for this comment... I'm older, and it spans 44 years and is filled with unlikely coincidences and magic creative Hollywood writers would struggle to come up with.
I met my wife in a Los Angeles back yard in 1973, when I was 13 and she was eight. This-- in and of itself-- was an extraordinary coincidence; you see I'm Danish and we were living in Denmark at the time... she was born and living in LA. But our dad's just happened to have business together, and my mom and I just happened to be along for this particular business trip. (fill in about 2000 words of "unusual stuff" here)
We were just kids, and this was just a couple of days and we went back to Europe... but I came back to the US to college at UT Austin in 1981... and we briefly wrote letters because my mom and my wife's auntie had kept in touch, but then lost touch (insert another 1000 of mystery stuff here). I was 21, she 15 by then.
Time passed; my parents moved to Phoenix AZ... one time around 1988 I thought I recognized her at a Stuart Anderson's restaurant in Scottdale... (turned out I did) but it was one of those fleeting things. But I asked my mother if she knew what had happened to Debbie... but she'd lost touch with the auntie.
More time passed, it's 1996... and I am certain I saw her in a crowd in Sedona, AZ... so I went after the girl in a group of people... she rounded a corner and was gone. I stayed there for almost an hour... alternately wondering if I was losing my shit, and hoping I was right. (We later determined that she was there, on that day, in exactly that location)
More time... 2002; we now had the Internet; searches. I have pondered if I was a little crazy, "imagining" things about some mystery woman who-- in all fairness-- I only know from a couple of days as kids, and some handwritten letters as late teens... but there was something there. Of course, Debbie Thompson is a pretty common name to search for...
... and I didn't know she'd legally changed her name at 21, so I was looking for the "wrong" person, anyway.
2003; I am blogging on a site remarkably similar to Steemit (in some ways, Steemit could have been modeled after it) and I come across a random among millions and I read someone's story-- there are no pictures, no identifying information, no names there... but the writing... like a forensic expert might recognize a fingerprint, it was the writing of the letters from college/high school.
So I sent a very brief message... "I think I may know you..."
We are now married and continuing the story together, here in our home in the Pacific Northwest.
What a great story @denmarkguy! I love love stories.
My husband and I have known each other since high school. I was 15 and he was nearly 17. Both being terribly shy and awkward, we had one awful date and that was the end of that. Our parents, however, each owned a bar/restaurant so we were always running around the same social circles.
At this point I've known him for about 2/3 of my life. He's husband # 2 and I'm wife # 3. Lots of water under that bridge and absolutely no secrets between us. LOL
And that's awesome, too, @merej99! I always find these stories amazing and beautiful... a couple we know here-- who are good friends-- grew up two blocks from each other; when they were seven, he helped her up and comforted her after she'd fallen while skating on a local pond; they didn't know each other and had no further contact... but here's where it gets magical and mystical-- between ages 9 and 26, they/their families made six moves to six towns in three states never more than a couple of months apart, and they never lived more than a mile from each other! They finally met at a party, back in their original hometown... at their wedding, their families met for the first time. They celebrated their 25th last year...
These lives we live... my wife is wife #3 and I'm husband #5.
Wow, that's a pretty amazing story and to think they were literally "around the corner" from one another. It also makes me wonder about fate and destiny. My husband and I often wonder what would have happened if we tried having a second date in high school. Might we be close to a 30 year anniversary -- or would I have been his first ex wife? LOL In truth, we probably needed all that 'water under the bridge' because our relationship is unwavering.
I don't remember exactly how this was phrased-- nor who said it-- but there was a saying along the lines of "The paths we have chosen lead us to EXACTLY where we are today." Whereas the "What IF" game can be fun... fact remains that this reality is what we have, and the best thing we can do is simply be grateful.
Wow, that is an amazing love story! It almost seems like destiny or the Law of Attraction. Certainly if you weren't actively looking for her, I don't think you'd have recognized her amongst a sea of writing!
@sizzlingmonkeys thanks... and yes. LOA or just that "we're all connected." We had a profound experience as kids (way beyond the above description) and perhaps we were simply tuned in to each other from that point forward.
Sounds like there's quite a story there! If you care to share that story someday, I look forward to reading it!
I loved reading your story, Denmarkguy! Speaking of Hollywood writers--you should sell your story and they can make a movie of it! Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a wonderful story--this is the very reason I wanted to start this series :) I'm glad I'm following you because I can tell you're a wonderful contributor and I want to hear more from you! Cheers and best.
Thanks @joshuapace-- appreciate the kind words! There are a lot of really wonderful and talented content creators here on Steemit... which would include yourself.