Sunday, September 9, 2012

45 Years Ago Today – Part Four


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45 Years Ago Today – Part Four
(This post follows the one of September 6, 7, & 8 – yesterday)

I said yesterday that…
“At that moment as we walked down the aisle and to the back of the church… I checked my watch… only 2 hours and 15 minutes until the airplane was leaving with us on board.  It would whisk us away to the beginning of our new life together.  The departure was 1:30 PM and whatever was planned for the reception – we would be on the plane!

I checked my watch again…”

As we exited the church our guests followed.

Alida and I had a special task to do before we took part in the next steps after the ceremony.

Outside in a car, just outside the church entrance, was my Uncle Bob.  Uncle Bob was a quadriplegic that was confined to a wheel chair and at that moment he was confined to my Grandpa’s back seat.

There was no Handicapped parking in 1967, at least at that place. 

Further to that my grandpa Kirkpatrick had made a decision that Uncle Bob might let out a “Whoop” or two when he would get excited.  Grandpa Kirk had left Bob in the car for the ceremony.

Alida’s first wish was to go see Uncle Bob in Grandpa’s car.  She came over to the car and opened the door to talk to Bob.  We wanted him to be part of the service but understood Grandpa’s feelings. Things in 1967 were not as they are today.

Bob gave out his “Whoop” as expected. He couldn’t speak clearly.  But found great joy in letting out a beller when he was feeling the joy… then he would laugh like crazy after he did it.  As we approached the car he was already whooping.

Bob couldn’t feed himself, He had never dressed himself and his hygiene was not always the best… but this man loved his nieces and nephews… and prayed for all of us.  Praying he could do well… and all of us knew that Bob may have been the protecting angel for our family. A handicap that came at his birth was not going to hold him back from “loving his kids”.

Grandpa took him home after the ceremony.  The excitement of a wedding reception was not for him.

That moment with Uncle Bob showed me what kind of woman that I married. Others were always more important to her than her own joys or needs.  Uncle Bob was part of my life and now he was part of hers as well. He was family and we loved him.

We were whisked off to the Photographer’s Shop to have a wedding photos taken.  When I look back now at this special treasures we have – the grin on my face still had the feeling behind, “Come, get going, it is now 11:45 AM and times a wasting!  The airplane leaves at 1:30 PM and we are going to be on it.


Our reception was very simple. There was a table for the sandwiches and sweets.  Alida took the sandwich tray and helped serving some of the older folks that couldn’t do the buffet thing.  Another snap shot of her serving others.

Some of these older folks had watched her grown up from her skinny little girl stage to become the beautiful young lady dressed in her wedding gown… glowing with her own joy and happiness.

With the speeches done and toast made – time was ticking.

We were told that we could change into our “going away outfits” in a small room off the main church hall.  It could have been a Sunday School Class room… all I remember was that it was small.  My new wife slipped off her wedding gown and stood there looking for her going away dress and stuff.  I was going to wear the same suit on to the airplane – so I tried to help her. Too funny.

It is not ever person that just gets married watches his new bride disrobe with all the guests standing outside the little room – waiting to see what she would be wearing.

Sexy?  Not really…the atmosphere of a Sunday School Class room doesn’t really add to that idea.

I looked at my watch again… and there was not time to dally.  The plane was leaving soon!!!! Let’s go!

At the airport…
My dad drove us to the airport.  We unloaded everything and together Alida and I carried our own suitcases.  I didn’t trust any of “my friends”. They had done things to others in our group and these things were nasty.

They had stolen suitcases. They had filled suitcases with food stuff at other weddings.  They were all tricksters and loved getting to “one of their own”!

Whew!  We made it to the counter without any problem so far… the girl at the check in counter saw us coming and greeted the newlyweds with a big smile. I guess some how she could tell – or someone had told her?!

She asked for my tickets and our names.  After looking the tickets over carefully… then pausing she said slowly and with a very apologetic expression… “I am so sorry sir… these tickets are not right… your reservation has been cancelled…”

My heart stopped beating at that moment.  Alida lost her smile too.  The rush to get there on time had failed. Somehow, someone got it wrong.  Can you imagine – CANCELLED!!!!!

Another airline lady was standing behind the one that we were talking to and that had just told us about the cancellation.  A smirk came over her face and she grinned at us.  The one dealing with us had a deadpan expression…

My reaction was instant.  I looked the airline lady in the eye and said… “I think you can reverse that cancellation – now… can’t you!?”

She burst out laughing as did all my friends and cousins that had put her up to it.  I looked around and shook my head. They were all laughing so hard that they would haven’t heard me cuss them for my heart failure!!!

With the boarding pass in hand something then took place to mess me up some more.

Alida’s nurse friends, all very nice girls, asked to the two of us to come outside for one last photo.

After the photo all these nice girls rushed us and dumped one or two bags of confetti down our necks!!!!  Alida got as much as I did...!!

The call for boarding came and we headed inside… with a trail of confetti coming slowly down my pant leg.. and dropping from Alida’s dress.  It dribbled out all the way to the airplane… down the aisle… to our new seats.

There was not guessing where the newlyweds were sitting on the airplane.  There were few giggles and smirks as they looked at us.

For the next four hours I sat in a sticky and itchy wad of paper confetti in my underwear.  Mistakenly I had grabbed my underwear top when trying to get it out of my shirt… and in it went.

What a send-off!  That was 45 years ago today – September 9th 1967. 

The adventure started 50 years and one month ago when I first met Alida.  This morning I presented her with breakfast in bed… and big kiss with a thousand memoires behind it.

I love you Alida Jones Lincoln!  Thank you for 45 of the best years of my life – and I am looking forward to all that we have left together.

~ Murray Lincoln ~

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