On November 1st, 2009, a contest was held in New York City. A contest unlike any other. Unbeknownst to its participants, a random sampling of couples in the NYC Metro area underwent a social experiment. What do couples really behave like when nobody else is around? After hours of observation, one couple stood out as a paradigm of matrimony and happiness. This is their story. In fall of 2002, two young impressionable youngsters followed their hearts and their dreams to college. The same school received two students from very different backgrounds. One, a beautiful blonde from New Hampshire who was birthed to two psychologists and grew up less than a mile from the sea. The other, a tall and handsome manchild from Pennsylvania who rarely saw the ocean. They met, intertwining their lives through mutual friends, small living spaces, and the uniter of worlds, aol instant messenger. Flirting, as they say, did go down. But it was as innocent as both of these youngsters (at the time) and their time was not yet. The second year of school brought new challenges, greek alphabets, different buildings, new men (gasp!), and the ending of a long and unfortunate love story. But alas, their timing was off again. Just as in year one where both manboy and lady girl had been spoke for by previous partners, now that tall man was single but the sheila had found a new beau. Then the fertilizer hit the windmill. Manboy, never before knowing such freedom, nor such longing, professed his true feelings to the woman of his dreams at the beginning of the third year of school. She lovingly rejected him, knowing that he was a good man, but still a fool a heart too. Fools be damned she said. Fools be damned he said. The pursuit continued, much as cats chase mice he pursued her furry little behind. She dodged and ducked advances, but from time to time, also letting some of those kisses find their true mark. A habit was formed over yuengling and wings. sometimes russians of the palest sort were included. Years later they discovered neither really liked yuengling either. Nonetheless, the bond that would only grow stronger had been formed. But their timing, always impeccably off, did not change course. The sheila was off to Australia, and even hours of passionate smooching couldnt convince her that he was right for her...right for now. While she was gone the foolish innocence of the boy turned into foolish misplace angst- the greenhouse took over much too much of his life. The lady had said, upon her return, that his pleas for togetherness would be re-evaluated. But the time was not right. Once again he told her how he felt. Once again he put the ball in her court. Once again she just passed it right back, deflated. Slow months went by, the flirting remained, as did the hope, but a new step was finally reached...well, at least for one of them. After 13 amazing seconds, they technically performed intercourse. Just barely. And this would be the grand step, the great gesture, the defining moment where they realized that they were inseperable that their lives had been intertwined for years only to grow together in this singular moment of intimacy...wait...no no sorry, not quite yet. After one or two more little heartbreaks for our former manboy now aspiring man, he fell off the wagon. he did the unthinkable and unspeakable, he lost his heart for one night. and he told her. and she cried. and he told her, for the first time, after dozens of times telling her the exact true opposite, he told her he didnt want to be with her. and she realized, truly, that she did want to be with him. Hours later, at 5 AM, on a Tuesday morning, he returned to her. And he told her, of course he wanted to be with her, its all hes ever wanted. and they slept, for one hour, on a couch, holding each other close. And they were together, and they finished school, and then came the next step. What might that be you ask? Taking on the most important city in the world. With 2 degrees (both hers). No jobs. No place to live. And the only money coming from her beautiful voice and masterful fingers (she was a combo masseuse/talk radio host) They moved, they got jobs, they struggled with money, they had no friends, they got friends, they survived. They ate a rotissire chicken dinner for Thanksgiving. Their first Thanksgiving together. Looking around they didn't have much, but who needed to look around to find things to be thankful for? They were too often looking at each other. They had many more beautiful moments together, so many that it is hard to write them all. But we can try. -Walking through the nice part of New Orleans, looking at Southern mansions, and finding a no-dog-pooping sign in the shape of a dog pooping. -The most romantic dinner ever, where he fulfilled his dream of presenting her with a beautiful necklace at the table in a fancy restaurant. And they had steak, too. -Picking out the newest member of their family, little Rambo, who became Dexter, who became their first 'child', who became a catman, who became a father/brother/mother to Zodman, who became a raccoon. -Dining at Broncas, their first "place", whose food and drinks were so cheap they should have known it would close down. But then dining at Nita Nita, which is surviving. -The night of the proposal. Intimate. Spontaneous. Naked. The last part is their secret though. -The hammock photography project…who knew that in a small town in Rhode Island, they would take some of their most “couple-defining” pictures -The day they moved in to a new home, and the 18 hours of pain. And the feeling that this would be their home, together, for awhile erasing that pain. -Waking up and walking 150 yards to the beach, to the white sand and the clear blue water, to the free frozen drinks and the total relaxation, and to spend another fantastic day together in the Bahamas. -The days after they picked up their new furry little friend, the adjustments of the family, and the beautiful cat love it has grown into, all parties involved. -The Syracuse game, the all-points-west-rustic overtones weekend, exploring Boston, exploring Cleveland, exploring Nassau, exploring every neighborhood of Manhattan, exploring each other; the couple have become a union unlike most: not many get to experience this type of love. And so here they are, today, November 1, 2009, the lady’s birthday. And he is thinking, my god he is the luckiest man on the planet. He is thinking about the pages and pages of stories he could write, of the good times he barely remembers because there have been so few bad times, and what makes him smile the most is that these memories only come from a handful of years….they have decades left to explore. I love you Kristin, Happy Birthday
