Sunday, November 04, 2012

Forty is the Magic Number

Forty years ago today, on November 4th 1972, I took my girlfriend out to dinner at the same restaurant that we had been to on our first date almost a year earlier. Then we went to a bonfire and fireworks party. It was the closest Saturday to November 5th, Guy Fawkes Day, after all.

Later that evening we went for a walk by the River Thames and I asked her to marry me.

She said yes.



Little did we know that on the other side of the Atlantic at the New York Boat Show earlier that year a little fiberglass sailboat called a Laser had been unveiled, and that the little boats had been selling like hot cakes. Why would we know? As she often reminds me, I wasn't a sailor when she agreed to marry me.

Fast forward ten years. We took a trip to Minorca Sailing. We learned to sail. I tried out a Laser for the first time. She decided she didn't like sailing after all. I came home and bought a Laser. It changed my life. Our lives I suppose.

In the next thirty years she has tolerated my disappearing at least one day most weekends to go Laser sailing. And she has let me drag her to various places all over the world to satisfy my sailing addiction. Florida, Australia, Canada, South America, Europe, various Caribbean islands. Life is hard for the wife of a Laser sailor.

Today on our anniversary we will celebrate by....

No. Wait. I'm going Laser sailing.

But she doesn't mind. When I haven't been sailing for a while and on some chilly winter morning I am debating with myself whether to sail or not, she will always encourage me to go sailing. I don't think it's because she just wants me out of the house; in reality she knows that I will be happier and easier to live with if I've had my fix.

Later this month we will celebrate the first birthday of our fourth grandchild, Isabel.


Life is very good.

Forty is the magic number.

I think I'll go sailing now.


9 comments:

Baydog said...

Happy Anniversary Tillercouple! Isn't it a bit chilly to go sailing? Wouldn't you rather be sitting in a stadium watching American football like I'll be this afternoon?

Tillerman said...

1. Thanks
2. Yes
3. No

Verena said...

Mike asked me to marry him on a rented Hobie cat in Mexico. Five years later we are cruising Mexico on our own boat! Congrats on 40 years! Here's to 40 more happy years ...of sailing... ;-)

JP said...

Woo hoo! Congratulations to you both!

Dutchie said...

My sincere congratulations to Mr and Mrs Tillerman. Hope you have a wonderful day! 40 years being married is a very long time in today's world. Mine is coming up next April.
Hope you are all OK after Sandy hit your beautiful coastline. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Wish you both many more years together and keep sailing the Laser.

Tillerman said...

Thank you all. The 40th anniversary of our wedding actually comes up next April. We are fine after Sandy thanks. We lost power for about 29 hours but we didn't suffer any flood or wind damage.

O Docker said...

Congratulations.

I'm just wondering what photo you'll post to celebrate number 43.

Tillerman said...

Today it is 86 days since O Docker posted anything on his blog. I'm just wondering what two photos he might post to celebrate the number 86.

Andrew said...

Cheers, lucky Guy.

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