Back Story

This post is a preamble to my next one.  I feel the need to explain how I met the Spouse, and the role his large, loud motorcycle played in our relationship.

Since my late teens, I've liked Harley-Davidson motorcycles.  They sound so good, they're designed beautifully, and riding on one you can smell every smell, good and bad, and feel all sorts of changes in the air.

During college a friend told me I reminded him of a Neil Young song:  Somewhere on a desert highway/she rides a Harley-Davidson/her long blond hair flying in the wind.  I couldn't look blond if I tried, but I was flattered.

I met the Spouse the day before my 25th birthday, on the first day of my first job after college.  He was one of the engineers on the team I was hired to support, and I saw him across the room right away.  He was wearing a blue dress shirt and he was scowling.  I learned later that he scowls when he's concentrating.

He is cute.  NO! This is my first real job.  I will not become attracted to a co-worker. Unacceptable.  Besides, I've never liked beards.  I don't even know if he's a Christian.

I tried to avoid him, which to me, meant just not taking every opportunity to walk by his cube.  Also, I went to the Christian bookstore and bought a necklace with one of those silver fish on it, and wore it every day to work.  I figured that would identify me. Subtlety is not one of my gifts.

Still, we ended up talking and smiling at one another a lot.  Somehow we sneaked in the Christian conversation.  Still, I tried to avoid him.  No workplace romance!  You are a professional now, missy.

Then one morning, I was in the break room getting coffee, looking out the bank of windows overlooking the parking lot, when I heard a wonderful noise that got louder and louder.  Up the driveway came my cute, bearded engineer on a black Softail Custom.

God works in mysterious ways.  We've been married thirteen years, and the Spouse has made sure it's an adventure.  In a couple days I'll show you some photos of our latest.

This is my beloved, and this is my friend. Song of Solomon 5:16