A Belated New Year's Eve Kiss.....25 Years Ago

This is a story about how I met my husband……25 years ago. I was in my senior year at college and I would be graduating that May. I was in the College of Advertising and so was my Hubs to-be.

I saw him for the first time when a school club, the Advertising society, took a road trip about a month before winter break to Atlanta to check out some businesses and have some fun. I hardly knew any of the 50 other people on that bus ride going up so I was as quiet as a mouse.

(Here is the actual flyer. Those days it was two sheets of copy paper, taped together and pinned up on bulletin boards with tacks. Notice a champagne breakfast served!!)

I looked like a mouse too with my long hair pulled back and I was (I can’t believe I’m writing this) actually catching up in my journal on the bus. I still have all my journals and it says “I am on the bus trip going to Atlanta. I don’t know anyone but I think I’ll do OK.” (by catching up I mean I wrote of little else for 6 or 7 years other than boys). Anyway....after a while I noticed he was standing and talking in a small group of people in front of me. What I first noticed about him was his profile and strong jaw line. I stood up and tried to nonchalantly join in. He looked at me with his blue eyes and said, “Well, what is your name” and brought me into the conversation.

I didn’t see him much during the weekend in Atlanta. I don’t think he participated in any Advertising club activities. I was busy meeting people in Atlanta and by the time we got on the bus to go back I had made a bunch of friends and showed no more signs of shyness. In fact I was extremely loud and rambunctious. He sat across the aisle and one row back. This time he was quiet and alone. I kept looking at him to gauge his reaction to me--he was laughing and shaking his head. This went on for hours.

We spoke at school one or two times after that and before winter break started. He saw me in a typing room (yes, typing on IBM selectrics….no computers). I was typing out some form regarding an internship. So we saw each other’s more serious side as we talked internships and he passed along some tips he heard of on companies.

After winter break the Advertising club held a “Belated New Year’s Eve” party at an apartment clubhouse at the end of January. I think I went with my roommate. There was my Hubs To-Be and many other people. I think there may have been New Year’s Eve party favors because I recall suddenly there being a big deal about a countdown happening soon. We had been talking, but I honestly remember nothing about this night except for 12:00 midnight.

Right before midnight I said to him, “Well, this is a New Year’s Eve Party and it is going to be 12 midnight soon. I did not kiss anyone at midnight on the Real New Year’s Eve, but we have a new opportunity tonight. See that Ladies Room over there? (gesturing over to other side of the room in a corner alcove) I am going in there and when I come out it will be midnight. If you are standing there we can kiss at midnight.”

And off I went across the room and into the Ladies Room. I remember looking in the mirror doing a make-up check and thinking, “Michele, what the heck did you just say, and sure hope you meant it!!!"

And there he was when I walked out, smiling at me, and we had our first kiss. And then we started going out.