Some Guys Have All the Luck



Birthday Dinner



Sunset at Marco Island, Florida, March 18th

A certain someone in our family had a birthday recently, and it was a memorable day full of cards, phone calls, and well wishes. After 43 years with this woman, I can tell you that they were much deserved.

I met Diane on a blind date on April 1, 1967, (Yes, I've heard all the April Fool's jokes that explain Diane ending up with me) and there were eight of us out that evening in a 1964 Chevrolet Impala that took us to Lake Argyle for a couple of beers. We were all "nice" college kids--Diane, Gail, the other Diane, Barb, Bill, Mike, Thom, and me. Somehow Diane and I got paired up, had a fun time, and sixteen months later got married.

It was not easy at first. Don't get me wrong, we were in love big time but it was 1968 and we had just moved to Gainesville, Florida, where I was to start graduate school. We had $700 to our name from our wedding. I was about to take my physical as the Vietnam War was raging. We didn’t know if I would be drafted, and we were two kids 1200 miles from home. It was a scary and challenging time.

In addition to all of this, poor Diane had to learn how to live with Gordy Taylor. This was not easy for a number of reasons and is the part where I really got lucky. I was a product of the 1950s. I'm not sure what that means but I was not very affectionate, not particularly empathetic, had a very short temper, and was not very complimentary. And oh, I believed marriage was a 50-50 proposition--the 50% Diane gave and the 50% I took. I was not the "gem" I am today.

I mention all this because without Diane's support and love in those early years, I would not be writing this today. She was there for me as I slowly matured. Without her, I wonder if my life would have turned out as well as it has and I thank her for all that she has done for our children and me. It has been a wonderful journey and I love her more than ever. Good friend, Roger Miller, recently sent me The Time of Our Lives by Tom Brokaw who may have said it best.  Brokaw writes that after almost a half-century of marriage Meredith and he are “not so much dependent on each other as we are complementary…” Happy Birthday, Diane.