Recruiting for Friends & Payphones

It's so hard to believe that 18 years ago TODAY, Jim & I had our first date.  Mind you, it was just a "friend date", because I had a boyfriend (whom I promptly broke up with first thing the next morning).  I never get tired of telling the story that Jim approached me & said "I'm recruiting for friends.  Can I list you as a possibility?"  How's that for a pick up line?  Betcha you don't hear that too often, ok, maybe never.  But, hey...it worked!

Our date consisted of going out for pizza, attending a church service and then hanging out at the river front for several and I mean SEVERAL hours!  This all took place in Burlington, so that town has always had a special meaning to us.  

We visited Burlington just a few months ago when Merle was here visiting.  We walked the same area that Jim & I had done so 18 years earlier.  Something caught my eye.  A pay phone.  First off, you don't see many of those anymore.  Call me crazy, but that's like antiquish  Out of style.  A thing of the past.  My kids probably don't even know that they exist.

However back in my day (a sure sign that I've been around the block quite a few times)  payphones are all that we used.  There was one on every corner.  So on this particular night 18 years ago this exact payphone is what I had used to call home.  

Jim & I had arrived at the hanging out at the river front part of our date later in the evening. 8:30 p.m. or so.  I made sure I called my mom right away to let her know what I was up to.  Yes....yes....I was the ever obedient, innocent daughter.  *batting my eye lashes in true sincerity*  OK....so maybe that's stretching it a lot tad, but I did have good communication with my parents about such things.  Back then, my parents actually had a toll free 800 number that we could call when needed.  With my constant school activities and normal teen outings they wanted to make it easy to call when we came across any phone, pay or not.

Anyway, I called my mom, told her I was on a date.  I remember telling her it wasn't going to be long and that I would head home soon.  I was still a minor (17) and also still in school (just weeks away from graduation) so I knew a late night was not going to be acceptable.  Before I knew it though, magic was happening with Jim & I.  We talked and talked and talked and talked.  I knew on that very night that I would marry this man and spend the rest of my life with him.  About every hour or so we would stop so I could call my mom and let her know I was ok and that I was still in Burlington.  I don't remember the exact time, but I know it was something insane like 1 a.m. before we finally wrapped things up for the night and I headed home.  I still had a hour drive home and amazingly I didn't get in any trouble for being out so late.

Earlier in the evening the night air had gotten cool and Jim had given me his sweatshirt to wear since I was only wearing a white tshirt, green pleated skirt and sandals that night (yes, I remember EXACTLY what I was wearing)!   I meant to give him back his sweatshirt (honestly), but after I drove away I realized I still had it on.  Of course, back in that day there was no calling or texting him real quick to let him know I still had his sweatshirt. I drove home with it on, slept in it and wore it to school the next day.  I still have that exact sweatshirt hanging in my closet.

The rest, you could say, is history.  Nothing was ever the same.

It was a nice surprise to see that payphone in Burlington.  A nice piece of history that means so much to Jim & I.  A beginning of a new path that we were about to embark on, having no idea where it would take us except for one heck of a ride.

(Re enacting those phone calls to my mom since they didn't have cameras back in 1994...hahahahaha)