The Beautiful Blogger award Meg honored me with last week got me thinking about interesting things I'd like to know about people. This turned into a list of things about myself that I either haven't shared or just mentioned briefly. What I hope that list turns into is actual posts! At the very least it turned into this post about being a teenage bride.
I got married while I was still a teenager and am still married after almost 28 years. I would not recommend it to anyone. Ever. Not that I haven't enjoyed being married, but it is HARD, HARD work. Many times I just wanted to say F**K it and move on, but I didn't.
Ironically Handy Man and I were not high school sweethearts. We did go to the same high school and hung out with some of the same people, but it wasn't until after graduation that we "got together".
Here's how it went down. Handy Man asked me to prom. Neither one of us had a boyfriend or girlfriend and he thought it would be fun to go to prom with a friend. There wouldn't be any of that awkwardness, plus "I'll be leaving for the Navy in the summer and I don't want to start a long lasting relationship." Exact quote.
Over the next couple weeks we started hanging out alone, without our friend group. It was fun. Handy Man asked me on another "date". He asked if I wanted to go to a graduation party with him. I agreed, and that was that. We fell in love.
We spent all summer together, right up to the day he left for boot camp in San Diego. We wrote letters every day. I went to San Diego to watch him graduate from boot camp. He went to Mississippi for training, then he came home for a month at Christmas.
On New Years Eve, just after I turned 19 and while he was still 18, we got engaged. He moved to Hawaii where he was stationed. We planned a July wedding over the phone and through the mail.
We got married on July 24 the same day that both of our maternal grandparents were married. They had 91 years of marriage between them on the day we got married. We saw that as a good omen.
The day after the wedding we left for Hawaii where we lived for the next four years...
Okay... so funny to see that pic of you and handyman when I've only seen the "Real People" for the last 10 years. Well, 15. Isn't that funny?
You were a beautiful bride!
Posted by: Asthmagirl | March 23, 2010 at 11:24 AM
I didn't know much of this before, so glad I do now. Congrats on 28 years of marriage!
Posted by: Jen | March 23, 2010 at 11:58 AM
Boy do I remember how mad I was about this! Nothing to do with Handy Man not being a good choice...we just had things to do!
Posted by: JLA | March 23, 2010 at 12:18 PM
I'd really love to see how long he would hang around for a long lasting relationship! LOL!
Posted by: The Incredible Woody | March 23, 2010 at 12:35 PM
I'm so with you on the "don't do it. ever!" You already know that you and I have semi-parallel stories and that's why I can say that.
That said, what a lovely young couple you made! Those fresh faces had no idea what was coming -- but you've pulled it off so well, so far!! Congrats on surviving 28 years.
Posted by: Lisa | March 23, 2010 at 02:32 PM
Wow, Tammy, I remember your wedding! At the time it didn't seem real to me.... like we were kids just acting like grown ups. But obviously for you it was for real! Congrats on 28 yrs... Amazing!
Posted by: KristiJ | March 23, 2010 at 06:00 PM
Wowzers! I had no idea. What a great story. Look how cute you two are!
Posted by: Tracey of These Nine Acres | March 23, 2010 at 06:58 PM
I just love getting to know you better. I was barely 20 when I got married and I wouldn't do that again...we've been together 36 years so it must have been real.
Great job holding things together for so long..;p
Posted by: joanne | March 23, 2010 at 09:53 PM