Fifty-seven years and counting and it’s snowing…again.

Today, December 14, is our 57th wedding anniversary. Like back then, the weather is terrible, it’s snowing. In 1968 it was raining and that night  there was a blizzard and we were stranded at Kennedy airport for almost 24 hours before getting out for our shortened honeymoon for which I had taken advance leave from the army. 

Looking through some old papers I found the receipt for our tickets to Freeport. One ticket cost $143 round trip. For all but the first day, it rained in Freeport the entire week. Quite a stormy start to a long and happy marriage.  

I don’t recall my army pay back then, but ChatGTP says it was $190 per month. Connie was a claim processor at an insurance company. She had just gotten a raise to $10,000 which was a big deal back then. Actually not a bad deal for the 2025 equivalent either. But we didn’t feel well off and I sent Connie what I could from my army pay to help with the bills. 

My largest expense was putting coins in a phone booth to call her twice a week. I remember one call for $8.00. Those coins were much heavier than my iPhone is today. What I wouldn’t have given for an iPhone in 1968. 

I do recall having a goal of earning $135 a week when I returned to my old job as a clerk in the employee benefits department. We agreed that if I made that amount we could buy some furniture for her small apartment where we would live. We made our goal because my employer gave me a raise equal to the accumulated raises I missed while in the army. The good old days.

We couldn’t afford a new TV though so we had a twelve inch black and white although not a big deal as the room was so small you couldn’t get too far away from the screen. 

It took fifty-seven years married and fifty years working to go from truly living paycheck to paycheck to two homes, four smart TVs and “how do we help our children and grandchildren financially.”

Success through patience, lots of good fortune and (mostly) not doing dumb things with money. I’d do it all over again.

Happy Anniversary Connie!