In recent years, April 19 has come to mean many things, The anniversary of the Branch Davidian compound destruction, by members of the US Government, then several years after that, the federal building in Oklahoma City was bombed..... Many years before that, it was known as the day that the American Civil War began, and later as Adolf Hitler's birthday.
But, I did not know any of this, when in January, of 1986, I picked this as the date that I would marry my first wife, Wild Heart (using her nickname, because, well, I am a private person, as is She). I picked this date, because we had a rule where I was working at the time, Gulf Coast Plastic Services, that you could not schedule any vacation until after the first of April as in the warehouse business that is the busy time.
I had proposed the previous fall, August 27th, as I recall, and she had accepted the proposal. I remember that I asked her Dad for permission to marry her the following day, and got his blessing. It wasn't until Christmas time that I was able to buy her a ring, and really, we bought it "used" from a coworker of hers, who had his engagement end unsuccessfully. So, Christmas time, I bought the ring, and presented it to her. After the holiday's ended, we got on a tear to "set a date" and get married, because, isn't that is what you are supposed to do?
So, in January, two things happened, I pulled out the calendar during my lunch, and after comparing days off with my boss, picked Saturday, April 19, 1986 as the date that I would marry my fiancee. I also made plans, picked a place, and for the first time in my life, lived in a place that wasn't with my parents. I was 23 years old, and a little scared.
Her parents had told me that they would give us $1000.00 to get married, not very much money at all, so we did the wedding on the cheap. Although, as I recall the price of WH's dress was not included in that. I remember that her Mom hand beaded the veil, and that the material, all by itself was over 500.00. It was something to behold.
So, the day dawned, bright sunshine, big puffy clouds, and well, perfect weather to get married in. We were married at Prairie Garden Baptist Church, and Scott Townley was the officiator. The wedding, as all actual weddings was short. 17 minutes from the moment that she walked down the aisle, to the "I Now Pronounce" you part.
What followed was 10 mostly good years. During that time, Bubba (1988), and Squirmy (1990) came to live with us, and the resulting chaos that having kids entails. There was the near bankruptcy in 1989, and the my first "real" job in IT. We, WH and I, muddled through the ups and downs of marriage, and finally, Thanksgiving Day 1995, she left, never to return. I always think of us as having been married for 10 years, and "officially" according to the state of Texas we were married well into our 11th year, in reality, I was married 9 Years, 7 Months, and 4 days, or 3505 days.
So this year, April 19, 2012, marks the 26th year since that fateful day.
I do not know why I remember the things that I remember, or even why. I have long since given up trying to understand it. 26 years since, at that time, the biggest day of my young adult life. The events of that day have shaped, and affected the entire rest of my life, right up to today.
The best indication of that, I still remember this date. Even when I was married to Hobbit years later, I still marked this date in time.
Peace to You All.
Namaste, My Friends.
See You On The Other Side.