Where was I exactly 37 years ago today?

Exactly 37 years ago today I was a young girl who was about to step across a threshold that would forever change my life.  It took place in my home town of Emporia, Kansas.  I remember that day as I prepared myself to walk down the isle of the First Church of the Nazarene, although I think back then it was just called The Nazarene Church but I could be wrong.  Reverend Joe Bean (I'm so not kidding -- that was his name) was standing there at the end of the isle to pronounce me married for the first time in my life at the age of 19.

I had no idea how much my life was about to change and how challenging it would be.  Up till then I had relied on my parents for everything but all I ever wanted was to become a bride and have my own dream of marriage. What did I know about marriage at that age?  I can tell you what I didn't know.

I didn't know that my parents had problems in their marriage because not only did they hide it well but I was so oblivious to reality* back then.  Mom and Dad tried to talk me out of it because they knew just how hard it was going to be and they knew I really wasn't ready for it.  I think if we could all be honest it wasn't so much about the young boy I was about to marry as it was that I didn't have a clue about the reality of marriage and family.  My parents kept their issues between them to themselves, which was not wrong but they never talked openly about any problem.  I was naive and very gullible trusting everyone to take care of me to make me happy, easily deceived in my fantasy* world as what love and marriage was all about.

On April 19, 1974 my life changed.  I had no idea how my life would not turn out the way I had planned because I truly believed my dream of happiness had come true.  I thought this is it!  All I ever wanted was to grow up, get married and live happily ever after.  We would love each other forever and have great adventures while somehow have a beautiful home and perfect little family together.  Beyond that I had no idea how we were going to get these things, make that dream a reality or handle any problems because honestly I never thought we would have any problems if we were married.  It was always about getting there but never about what to do when you got there.  I was ill-equipped to handle life outside my parent’s home but didn’t know it. 

*My favourite TV shows and movies in my young teen life were: 

Family shows of the 50's, 60', 70's about how love, marriage and families:

• Leave It To Beaver (Ward & June knew how to hold it together and still deal with the Beav)
• The Brady Bunch (so they had 6 kids to raise, obviously Carol & Mike had true love and made it look fun)
• Little House on The Prairie (Laura Ingalls could have been my BBF)
• The Walton's (goodnight Mole Boy, obey your parents, follow your dreams and be a good brother)
• I Dream of Jeannie (she tried to be obedient and really loved her Master plus clean the house with a blink)
• The Partridge Family (Shirley was a really wise mom and I was madly in love with Keith

Music shows: Soul Train and Dick Clark's American Bandstand taught me how to dance (or so I thought)

Adventure shows with hot leading men or beautiful role models:

Alias Smith and Jones (Pete Duel and Ben Murphy) --- I was so in love with these two fantasy lovers at the same time that my best friend and I wrote short stories imaging ourselves with Pete and Ben as our boyfriends. When Pete shot himself in real life on Dec 31, 1971, I thought my life was over too.  Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry would never be the same.

Starsky and Hutch....omg!!!!!! hot hot hot

Romantic Comedy movies  one of my favourite husband/lover role models turned out to be gay

·         Pillow Talk (1959) Rock Hudson and Doris Day

·         Lover Come Back (1961) Rock Hudson and Doris Day

·         Send Me No Flowers (1964) Rock Hudson and Doris Day

·         Man's Favorite Sport (1964) Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss

• I knew every line of the song "supercalafragalisticexpialadoshus" in the movie, Mary Poppins, which means something to say, when you do not know what to say.  

Flashback 37 years ago today.  This young girl stepped into another world of reality for the first time but it took many, many years until I finally woke up and became a woman.   

“Leave it to Charlotte” starring Charlotte as the young naive girl who steps from fantasy to reality for the first time and gets herself into a terrible mess.  She’s married to that crazy mixed up boy who doesn’t know what he wants either.  Together they have two kids before they realize they’ve made a huge mistake and don’t know how to talk to each other.  In fact, (laugh track) they have all kinds of fun trying to communicate.  That wacky Charlotte, she is always getting herself into things just like that famous redhead on TV.  Our favourite memorable episode of Charlotte’s was when she ran her car across the railroad tracks and got the car high-centered.  Thanks to a CB radio in the car, she was able to call the sherriff for help.  He and the town folk came running to flag down the train and get her and her toddler safely out of the car. With the help of some heavy duty chains, the family car was pulled and pushed off the tracks. Oh boy, what will hubby say about the dent under the car?  Not to worry, he’ll probably be so happy she and their daughter return safely that he won’t even notice..... stay tuned to find out his reaction.

...and remember folks, there is no place like home and home is where the heart is.