Where does time go?

Where does time go? Can it be possible that it has been thirty years since I met the love of my life? Saturday July 19, 1980, seems like it was a lifetime away and yet it seems like it was just yesterday. It was the summer break between my sophomore and junior year of college. My dear friend, Rose, and I decided to drive to Annapolis on a hot Saturday evening to check out the plebes (the freshmen) at the Naval Academy. It sounded like good sport. Little did I know that that evening would forever change my life.

For about an hour, Rose and I strolled around the campus, but if there were any midshipmen there, we surely did not see them. So we decided to leave the academy grounds and head into Annapolis. Maybe we would find people there. As we were walking through Dalgren Hall, a young man who was obviously part of the grounds crew or janitorial staff at the academy passed us and greeted us with an “Evening, ladies.” He was wearing green corduroy bell bottom pants and a faded Farrah Fawcett t-shirt along with his brown suede leather boots. His attire was quite outdated and quite inappropriate for a hot July evening. Rose and I knew immediately that this ill-dressed but kind young man could not have been a midshipman and so we assumed he was some sort of academy personnel.

When we went to exit the lower level of Dalgren Hall on our way off the academy grounds, that ill-dressed grounds crewman was at the door to let us out. He told us that he was on his way into town to mail a letter. As we walked and talked with this kind young man, we learned --much to our surprise-- that not only was he a midshipman, but he was a member of the senior class! We continued our walk and our chat and he introduced himself; Tim, from North Carolina. The next thing we knew, we stopped in front of a bar and grill appropriately named “Timmy’s” and our new friend invited us in for a drink.

We sat down and continued our conversation. We laughed and talked, and I quickly realized that I very much like this ill-dressed young man. Soon the three of us decided to head into Baltimore and visit the inner harbor, but I told Tim that we would only go with him if he changed his clothes before we left. I gently explained to him that his outfit just wasn’t suited for the big city! On our way to Tim’s car, we met another midshipman, Terry, whom we invited to join us. Tim offered to drive, and I was quick to take the seat up front by him.

The next several hours flew by. We ended up sitting on top of Federal Hill looking down at Baltimore’s harbor. And we talked and laughed. When we finally realized what time it was, we had to make a mad dash back to the academy. Tim and Terry had missed curfew! Funny though, the young man who I thought ill-dressed and a member of the academy grounds crew, knew how to sneak back into the school through a window on the first floor of Bancroft Hall!

It was 4am when Rose and I finally left the Naval Academy. When I got home, I didn’t sneak up to my room. I went straight into my parents’ bedroom and I woke my mother. I had something extremely important to tell her. “Mom,” I whispered to her, “Tonight I met the man I’m going to marry.” “That’s nice, dear,” she said. “Now, go to bed.”

That was thirty years ago. Tim is still the love of my life, and he still has fashion issues!