Wednesday, October 4, 2006

Desmond and Molly - The Adventure Begins

I first met Molly when we were both in college. I've spoken before about the Christian community I joined when I was in school; I think it was during my junior year that Molly started showing up at campus functions of the community, and in due course, joined the community herself. I’d like to say that, the first time I laid eyes on her, I was instantly star-struck and knew that one day she’d be my wife. But it didn’t happen that way. In fact, I’m pretty sure I barely noticed her at first.

That summer, between my junior and senior years, I lived in an apartment near campus with a couple buddies, and took a couple summer classes. Molly, as it turned out, lived with some women in the same complex, about a block away. The girls she was living with were good friends of the guys in my apartment, so she and I spent a fair amount of time that summer hanging out together, and we became good friends. I enjoyed her outgoing, sanguine personality; she was just generally pleasant to be around.

Over the next couple years, we became good friends. In the context of the life of our community, we spent quite a bit of time together, praying, studying the Bible, serving together in various and sundry ways. For a while, I was the leader of a music group, and she was sort of loosely my ‘secretary’, so we’d meet every week to plan music for a worship service; I have to say, we worked very well together.

All during this time, I came to admire what a solid, godly woman she was. I wasn’t remotely ‘in the market’ for a wife yet, and, while I certainly enjoyed her company, I wasn’t looking at Molly in any kind of ‘romantic’ way. In my mind, we were really good friends, and brother/sister in Christ, and that was great. Also during this time, I sort of cycled through a series of ‘crushes’ on other women in the community, all of which crashed and burned in various comical ways. So, I sort of ‘swore off’ romance for a while, and concentrated more on my studies.

When I graduated, I took a job in the same town where the college was (Molly continued in school for another year or two). I bought a car and a house, and started to think about settling down and getting married. I actually thought about asking Molly out – I certainly admired her, and we always enjoyed each other’s company. But, when I was ready to ‘make my move’, I discovered that she was dating another guy. Down in flames again! So I retreated, and pondered my next move.

One Sunday morning not long after that, I was sitting on my porch, reading the newspaper, when Molly came hopping up the stairs. She had moved into a house with some other women, just up the street from the house I’d just bought. She was carrying a dingy little rubber ball in her hand. “I know you play paddleball,” she said. “I found this ball, and I wondered if it was the kind you could use.” Well, it wasn’t, but I thanked her for thinking of me, and we chatted for a while before she continued on her way.

I was sort of chuckling at the whole thing, at how silly it was for her to bring me this grubby little ball, when it suddenly dawned on me – this wasn’t about the ball. She was letting me know that she was available and interested. Sure enough, I discovered that she wasn’t seeing the other guy any more, and when I asked her out, she eagerly accepted.

And the rest, as they say, is history. We were married the following summer; and we recently celebrated our 26th anniversary.

I want to say that all those years of friendship have paid dividends in our marriage – long before either of us thought of the other as a potential mate (well, long before I thought of her that way, at any rate), we just liked each other and enjoyed each other’s company. More importantly, we admired and respected each other on a purely human, interpersonal level, without the starry-eyed romantic overtones. And, when it came time for us both to think about choosing a life-partner, we had pretty objective, clear-headed assessments of each other. And, even today, I still have that fundamental admiration of Molly as a woman, quite separately from the fact that she’s my wife. And that’s like money in the bank for us.

(7 comments)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hold on there cowboy, what gives? You back in the blog business or is this just a tease? What will Molly say? What will the kids say? And what would you say if I demanded 100 bucks not to rat you out? :)

Welcome back!! Syndication, gotta love it!

Therese in Heaven said...

Seriously, I am very happy that you're back. Even if you're only periodically blogging, its nice to have you back in the neighborhood, and not just as a vagrant. ;)

Desmond Jones said...

XI - Thanks for your concern, bro. I really have no intention of getting back into blogging whole hog. Or even any significant part of the hog.

Mainly, I sorta regret having deleted my blog back when, and decided to put some of my better stuff back in the blogosphere.

Plus, once in a blue moon, something occurs to me that I'd have liked to have been able to post. So, this gives me a place to do that. But don't get your hopes up. It won't happen very often.

And, are you sayin' I better tell Molly before you do? Just so's I'm clear. . .

Therese - Yeah, it won't be all that different from what I've been doing for the last year+. But, at least you'll know where to go the find my 'Naked Weekend' post. . .

And hey, you know, a hot shower and a little soap can do wonders for us former-vagrant types. . .

Anonymous said...

Who, me? Make a threat like that? Perish the thought!

Or only if i can get a laugh .... or a bit of cash .... :)

I figured you was mainly dabbling in nostalgia. It just surprised me when I wandered into your yard. Nota that I was trespassing or anything .....

Sailor said...

SO glad you're posting, even if it's intermittent.

Don't listen to them up there ^^^^, just tell Molly and the kids you're cleaning up the neighborhood, raising the tone, so to speak.

Desmond Jones said...

XI - I might have laughed. A little. Ain't gonna be no cash, tho. . . Just sayin'. . .

Sailor - Thanks for stopping by! I wasn't sure how much of the old blog you ever had a chance to read. . .

'Cleaning up the neighborhood'. . . I like it. . . Yeah, I'm just tryin' to help y'all improve yer property values. . .

Anonymous said...

Well, all I can do now is express appreciation for the invite. I am looking forward to reading more.