By Dennis Richardson
Sunday is the 45th anniversary of when Lisa and I said our wedding vows at the Church of Christ in Camden. A new church building has been built since then and the former church building is now a funeral home.
I was 24 and she 19. I was in my last year at UT Martin and she was in her first when we were introduced at the Church of Christ student center there.
She came to the student center early that quarter (yes many schools were still on the quarter system) with a friend. In the blink of an eye I was able strike up a conversation.
We didn’t start seeing each other until well into the football season but three months later we were engaged to be married. It was Christmas Eve, 1974 at her home where I proposed and she said ‘yes’
After we met back in September her time was consumed with the UTM band every football weekend. There were lots of practice sessions that took up her time. Meanwhile a lot of my study time was not on the books, but in thinking of some way to get to know her and hopefully build a relationship. Because she was so unavailable I had to find creative ways to get to talk. I would call her on the hall phone at the dorm almost every night. Whoever answered had to go knock on her door to tell her she had a call. Cell phones were not available at that time and there were no private phones in the dorm rooms.
During lunch at the campus cafeteria one day she let me know that she was engaged. I was devastated at first. Somehow those words must have fallen on deaf ears because I did not give up. In fact it made me try harder.
Some things are simply worth working hard for. Something inside me told me that I should not give up. After all, she was still single so I still had my chance.
It was a physical attraction at first. She has this beautiful smile.
The few times we were able to talk somehow spurned a friendship. And then boyfriend and girlfriend. That very Christmas Eve she accepted my marriage proposal.
Then came the hardest part. She insisted that I talk to her dad to get his blessing. He wasn’t easy to give in to anything and this stern look of his made me sweat a little. My fears eased when he gave in.
We didn’t have the opportunity to live in Camden until five job changes and 19 years later.
So here we are wondering where 45 years went so fast and also how much time remains.
Only God knows that answer.
Happy Anniversary. Here’s to many more adventures together and if I had it to do all over again I hope she would again say ‘yes’.
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