This is my version of how we met, maybe one day you will hear his..........................
This will also tell you the reason why the Star Trek Continuum is my favorite site. I had
already been a regular chatter at the Star Trek Chatlines, to be more accurate the
lounge. The atmosphere there is great...I had made a lot of friends there, and
everyone has at least one thing in common, Star Trek.
I was chatting in the lounge when all of the sudden, I got a whisper from a new person. I had only seen him there a couple of times before, and only recently. His name was Riker36m, or I assumed it was a him. I didn’t understand the ..36m but I was later to find out it meant his sex and age because of the all the age/sex checks.
I was a little leary about answering his whisper because of things that had previously happened, but I figured what harm could it do, I could always ignore him, if he ended up being mean. So I did, and that was the wisest decision I ever made in my life...that was the turning point for me for a happier life, only I didn’t know it yet!
We started talking, and the hours flew by. We, of course, had Star Trek in common, but we also found that we lived in the same state. That is lucky, because of course you meet people from all over the world in chat rooms like that. We did find out we did live 250 miles away from each other though.
We found that we both had ICQ, so that is where we began to meet. The time seemed to a pass too quickly. The more we talked, the more we found we had in common. Riker had said he would come online the next day, to “see” me and I agreed to meet him at the specified time, but I wondered, would he?
The next night at the specified time, he was there. I was so glad to see him. We talked more and he helped me so much with problems that I was going through at that time in my life. We became friends. We found out that we were going through bad relationships, and I guess, that was kind of a base for our friendship. We comforted each other, and found that were both through the same sort of thing and understood each other very well.
We met several times that week, probably every night and talked for nearly 3 to 4 hours each night.
The next week he said that he was not going to be online on Saturday, because he was going to Michigan Adventure with some people from work, so we decided to meet on Sunday. In the meantime, between one of our meetings, I got sick and went into the hospital...well, you can’t take your computer to the hospital with you and I didn’t know how to get hold of him. I was afraid that he thought that I was very rude because I didn’t show up that night that I went into the hospital. I was afraid that I would never find him again. That was probably on a Friday.
On Sunday, I called my daughter on the phone from the hospital and told her to get online and see if Riker 36m was there in the Lounge. It seemed like a long long time before she got connected and found him, but he was there! Waiting for me! After the introductions, I told her to ask him if I could call him at home. The answer was Yes!!!!!!!!!!! So that was our first phone call. I was so nervous!!! If he wouldn’t have been waiting for my call I would of hung up.....several times.
I told him I was leaving home when I got out of the hospital and moving to my sister and wouldn’t be able to talk to him online any more, because they didn’t have a computer I that could use. We then found out my sister lives only 90 miles away from him. That was so good. We decided then that we would meet face to face on the next Saturday.
After getting out of the hospital, we talked all that week about our plans to meet. We told each other what we looked like, even though I had lost 50 lbs., I was still heavy, and wanted him to know. He said he had already guessed that, and with a little coaxing, revealed what he thought I weighed. (Something I won’t mention here.) He guessed within 5 lbs. I found that amazing without even meeting me. We hadn’t exchange pictures, and honestly I never ever even thought about asking for one.
The time for me to leave my home had come upon me. I left on the Friday before we were to meet. When I arrived in Big Rapids there was a letter for me from Riker. It was a bookmark with a poem of friendship and a penny with a heart cut out of the middle of it. I thought that was so sweet.
I called him that night, to make final arrangements. He was going to wear a tie with the Starship Enterprise on it, that way, I would know who he was. I was so nervous. I was excited and scared. I don’t know why, we were only friends at this point, at least that is all either of us admitted to, so why was I so concerned about making a good impression. If we were friends, then it wouldn't matter, would it?
My family thought I was really crazy because of the weird people there are on the Internet, but I had this "gut" feeling about Riker. I knew he was a good person.
The big day finally came. We were to meet at 4:30... now I had to wait the whole day!!!! I started getting ready early, too early, I was ready to go at 3:00.
Got to Big Boy Restaurant, and I could see someone walking around the restaurant as if looking for someone. His back was to me, but when he turned around, I saw him for the first time. It was like meeting an old friend, but with a case of butterflies, added. We were both nervous at first, but we found, even then, that we had some things in common. Dinner was a little hard to get thru, but we made it. We then decided to go and sit at a park, next to a little stream, and there is when we relaxed with each other...and that was the start of our "new" relationship. He was real!!!!!! No longer someone from the internet. Someone I could touch, and talk directly to him and see those beautiful eyes, and the expression on his face. He was the most wonderful man I had ever met, and the more I found out about him, the more I realized this.
We went to the movies and he stayed in a hotel over night, and then we had breakfast at Big Boy's and spent the day talking and shopping and went to the parks by the river. We discovered we both loved nature, and being outside. The technical world of computers and nature together. Two people that had this combination! More in common! He left on Sunday evening, and it was sad to see him go.
The most anxiety, to be felt by me, was the next day. I was wondering if he was going to call. I was wondering if he felt the same way. Was he as interested in me as I was in him? Monday seems so long. but he did finally called!!!! and then I knew............
But I didn't, and he told me he loved me the next weekend....there is so much we have in common, we think so much alike, and have so many things that are the same..even our favorite color is the same! He is my Imzadi. That is really the only word to use that describes the feeling we have for each other.
On November 7th, 1998, we began our lives together......and it has been fantastic. I truly love him, and he loves me....It feels so good to be loved like this. I am a very lucky women.
We have been together as a family since then. It has been wonderful. Our bond
of friendship contiues to grow as does our bond of LOVE. There
are so many new things to look forward to, so many new things
to do together, and still some things to learn about
one another. I am looking forward to growing old with him .........I hope you are too, honey....
