FREE NEWSLETTER
Go to main Forum page »
Happy Friday the 13th, everyone.
They say that one of the best financial decisions you can make, if you’re married, is to stay married. So I figure that gives me just enough of a hook to justify sharing on Humble Dollar why I celebrate today.
I met my wife Rosalinda for the first time…twice. In 1977, I was a 2nd year law student at the University of Texas in Austin. That spring I found myself spending another boring and tedious weekend studying at the UT law library. I took a break and was walking the halls when I saw a beautiful girl sitting alone on the steps. I mustered my courage and sat down beside her. We talked for just a few minutes and I thought things were going pretty well—right up until she told me she was there with her boyfriend. I said my goodbyes and left, impressed not only with her beauty but with her kindness.
Ten years later I was a lawyer in Austin, enjoying my bachelor life. One Friday at a local Happy Hour, I noticed a woman enter. She was quite a distance away, but her smile lit up the whole room. There was something absolutely electric about her presence.
I walked over, introduced myself and said, “I think we’ve met somewhere before.” Naturally, she rolled her eyes at the oldest line in the book. But somehow a distant memory had surfaced in my mind. “You’re from the Rio Grande Valley”, I said. “Your father is Mexicano and your mother is Puertorriquena. You once had an orange sweatshirt. And, about 10 years ago, you spent time in the law school library.”
How a 10 minute conversation survived 10 years in my musty brain, I can only attribute to fate. But I got her attention, and eventually I got her phone number.
This spring, we celebrated 36 years of marriage. And that Friday in March of 1987, when I met Rosalinda for the second time? Yep, it was the 13th — Friday the 13th — the luckiest day of my life.
This is how failing Spanish 1 in high school was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me. Obviously, I wasn’t much of a student at that time, but by repeating Spanish 1, I was put in the class one year behind me. First day of class in walks this beautiful high school cheerleader who I’d never seen before. While I’m trying to figure how to find out her name, the teacher walks in and says, “OK, the first thing we’re going to do is go around the class and introduce ourselves.” I’m thinking, this is my lucky day! However, when it got to her, I couldn’t understand what she said – bummer. That didn’t deter me, so I asked around, got her name, and found the courage to ask her out. That was over 60 years ago and 56 wedding anniversaries, 4 sons, and 8 grandchildren later. Life is good.
Bob, great story! That failed class truly paid off handsomely. You just never know….
Interesting story on fate Andrew. Here’s mine which i think is somewhat unusual and not what I would have ever envisioned. After I graduated from university I got a job with the railroad refurbishing the northeast corridor. A job i enjoyed. I liked reading about finance and after a couple of years I thought about getting an MBA. Anyway, me and two buddies went on a trip out west to visit national parks. We stopped in Reno, NV and I lost $9 in a casino playing blackjack, so I bought a short book on blackjack strategy and studied the basics. When we got to Las Vegas I visited a casino to test the strategies I learned. I sat at a $2 table and played blackjack. With a little skill and plenty of luck, betting only $2 a hand and sometimes splitting cards and doubling down I was up over $100. A guy next to me was intrigued and struck up a conversation. He asked what I did for a living. He worked for the Naval Engineering Department in Washington DC and said they were recruiting engineers and gave me his card. This was during Reagan’s 600 ship Navy buildup. I was curious so I called him. I was intrigued by the program the Navy had to train civilian engineers in naval engineering. They said they’d also send me to graduate school if I wanted. I was okay with getting a MS in engineering vice an MBA. So I left the railroad and started with the Navy. After two year I went to the University of Michigan for Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture. I met a girl in my apartment complex who was studying music performance. We became friends. She graduated at the same time I did. I went back to Washington DC and as fate would have it there was an opening in a military band for her instrument. She won the audition and moved to Washington. After a few years we married. So from that fateful visit to a casino, I won a $100, got a career and a wife. Talk about luck! Incidentally, I haven’t gambled at a casino since that time.
Ed, thanks for your great example of the sometimes happy mysteries of fate!
This story prompted me to post on HD for the first time even though I joined a few years ago. March 13, 1987 is the day we got married so like you Andrew it truly is a special date for us. We were leaving on a Caribbean cruise the next day so the wedding had to be on “Friday the 13th” and we’ve been happily married ever since. Our stories prove that “Friday the 13th” can be the luckiest day of your life…
Thanks for sharing your story and glad we’re both celebrating these happy 13ths!
What a lovely story. There was definitely a reason why you remembered all those details. Congratulations on your anniversary.
Thanks, Sonja. My memory sometimes fails me, but it surely came through that time.
great story, Andrew. Happy anniversary. Chris
Thanks, Chris. Yep, we have our wedding anniversary and then our “meeting” anniversary. So we get to celebrate twice!
I love stories like that, especially when they have happy endings! Congrats.
Thanks, Jeff. I feel very lucky indeed.
Exceptional! Mazel tov!
Thanks, Ben. We will toast tonight!
Truly amazing story Andrew. Hope you have another 36 great years together.
Thanks, Dan!