This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow
Carving”.
You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.
My Web Site is a like a Gallery
– please drop in for a stroll through.
To help me promote my Web
Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/
45 Years
Ago Today
Forty
five years ago today I was packing my car full of camping equipment. The trunk
was full and so was the back seat. I had
everything ready.
Days
before I had purchased a brand new tent and had put it up once to make sure I
knew how to do that part. I had warm sleeping bags ready as well as a brand new
Coleman camp stove. It was the biggest available – a Three Burner!
I also
tossed in my suitcase and my suit bag that had my best suit inside.
That
morning early I drove to Montreal, Quebec – a two hour drive from Trois
Rivieres along the old roads that hugged the St. Lawrence River.
The drive
was long and alone with my thoughts. I was about to take a step where I would
lose all my freedom. “Are you really
sure you want to do this?” ran through my mind.
“I can’t
stop now. Everyone will be there waiting
for me at the airport in Regina. There
is no stopping now – at all or forever!
This is it!” came rushing at me from all directions. “You have made a commitment
that you have to follow through on – there is no more what if-s from now on –
you will never be the same!” followed all that.
For two
hours plus I entertained a two sided conversation all the way to Montreal’s
Airport. That was 45 years ago this morning – and I remember all the conversation.
I have kept that conversation in my head
and thought of it at least once a year for 45 years.
I parked
the car with all the stuff in it – in full view of anyone walking by the vehicle.
It was September 6th and I would be back in this parking lot on the
evening of September 9th… just three days from then.
Pause…
Can you
imagine locking up your car today in one of the busiest airports in Canada with
all that new stuff showing in the backseat… today? How simple in my thinking… how trusting… I was
way back then!
Four
hours later after boarding the flight for the west I walked off towards the
luggage area in Regina. As I looked up
anxiously I saw what I came for!
There
stood the most beautiful girl in the world. She was beaming from ear to ear. She
ran to me and gave me the biggest hug ever – nearly popping my head off! Then we kissed – long and hard with my Dad and
Mom watching from the side lines.
That beautiful
girl was Alida Jones, the gal that I had been dating for five years. The gal that I had last seen in Montreal in
July 1967 – two months earlier when she had come to see me. At that time we had gone to the Montreal Expo
– the World Exposition together. We had also gone to New York City and a whole
lot of other places together on that two week, whirl wind holiday.
It had
been two long months of letters back and forth.
One letter mailed each day – often crossing messages and answers with
more questions. Nothing at all like email of today or text messaging of today.
For the
past year and a half we had only seen each other for a few times – and short
times at that. It was a long distance romance.
Now at
the airport in Regina… we were only three days before we would be married and
Alida would come to live with me in our new apartment in Trois Rivieres.
All of
the questions about should I be doing this, am I sure, are you willing to give
up your freedom… ??? simply evaporated when she hugged me so tightly in that
airport… and then wouldn’t let go of my hand when we went to get the suitcase.
Hokey
Mokey… that was 45 years ago today. The
rest will come tomorrow and the next day as I relive this wonderful anniversary
over and over again. More to come!
~
Murray Lincoln ~
No comments:
Post a Comment