Today, over breakfast, I got to thinking about how people met and fell in love. I was having breakfast at a Hilton Garden Inn in Indianapolis. I was with two of my co-workers, BJ and Nicole. Nicole and her husband, Nick, both work with us at Resource Systems. They met at work. Just like Cyndi and I did.
Nicole and Nick were married last year, and Nicole moved to Zanesville, Ohio after the wedding. She is from Washington State. A far cry from Zanesville. I didn't know the story behind their "getting together," so I asked. Nicole told me that when she interviewed for the job, Nick pretty much knew he was interested.
Our company conducts group interviews, so when Nicole had hers, Nick was included. After the interview, everyone in the room liked her. They wanted her for the job. They also wanted her for Nick. During the training process, Nicole lived in an apartment in Zanesville for three months. She didn't know anyone in town, so Nick would invite her to go out. Before long, they were dating. Shortly thereafter, they were engaged. Then married. They seem perfect for each other, and very happy.
Sometimes it's that simple. Meeting and falling in love. It's kind of like our story; mine and Cyndi's. We met at work. On my first day, I was getting a tour of the nursing facility, and I spotted her behind the nurse's station. I actually thought she was a high school intern, and mentioned this to my tour guide, Lynn Tiffany. Appalled by my accusation, Lynn corrected me by informing me that, "she's a college graduate, and works in our food service department."
A few days after meeting Cyndi, I learned she was not only dating someone, but living with him. I guess you'd call Mike, her former boyfriend, her high school sweetheart. Not to diminish any of their relationship (Cyndi can do that herself), but Mike wasn't the nicest guy in the world. Cyndi kind of made that clear to me right off. We began talking with one another on a very casual basis, but kept our relationship strictly as friends. I knew she wasn't very happy with Mike, but didn't want to be "the reason" they broke up--if she was interested me in that way, anyway.
We had talked about the idea of going out for drinks--again, as friends--after work. When I came back from a week-long business trip, Cyndi asked me again to go out after work. I agreed. We went to TGI Friday's. I ordered a Killian's Red, she ordered a White Zinfandel, and in a matter of seconds after the drinks arrived, Cyndi announced, "I broke up with Mike." She proceeded to down the entire glass of wine.
Four hours later--and only one cup of coffee later (I was dirt broke and didn't bring any cash!)--we learned that we grew up down the street from one another, and attended the same schools. I knew that night this was the person I was supposed to be with the rest of my life.
When Cyndi and I got married, we asked our videographer to go around and ask people--"When Harry Met Sally Style"--how they met and feel in love. We asked them to splice these responses throughout our video. I would say, they are the highlight of our viewing pleasure every year.
Here are most of the selections, verbatim:
Greg Grudzien (Cyndi's father): "I met my wife in Denmark, I was being Godfather to an American Indian boy, in Denmark, and Ina was the Godmother. Well...here we are...that's about it."
Ina Grudzien (Cyndi's mother): "I moved to the United States after that."
Frederic Grudzien (Cyndi's grandfather) - deceased; Emily Grudzien (Cyndi's grandmother, looking on, lovingly): "We met at a poporavini party...which means, the party was after the wedding. Of course, this was done by the father-in-law. Then, the father says, 'I think I'm gonna run a party...poporavini over a poporavini'...so at that time, I saw this girl coming through the door, and it struck me, like a lightning. I says to myself, 'I've gotta meet this person'. And sure enough, I met this person, at this poporavini, and ever since that time, we had a happy life together. That is, 59 years...thank God."
Albino Fosco (my grandfather) - deceased: "59 years ago, we met on a blind date. And I wouldn't go out with her unless I seen her first. After I seen her, it lasted 59 years...very glad to meet her."
Leona Fosco (my grandmother): "It'll be 60 years, February 1...we've been married 60 years...and it lasted!"
Rochelle Fosco (my mother) - to my father, Michael Fosco (deceased): "I know the story!"
Michael Fosco: "Go ahead!"
Rochelle Fosco: "His best friend, and a friend of mine, were dating, and they fixed the two of us up...and we were together, for 22 years--day in and day out...so...that's how we met, and we had them...so...that was simple and sweet."
Michael Fosco: "That's all folks!"
Rochelle Fosco: "That's it!"
Greg Constantino (my uncle): "Hi, Cory...Hi, Cyndi...Denise and I, uh, as you know, we just met, and, uh, we're still falling in love...so, uh, as we have a little bit of result of that love..." (referring to my then, 18 month old cousin, Anthony)..."But, uh, I turn it to you..."
Denise Fosco-Constantino (my aunt): "And I'm sure it's going to last as long as yours is...only don't wait as long as I waited to have children...because we are counting on you to do that for the family!"
Greg Constantino: "Hope to see you in Tucson!"
NOTE: Aunt Denise and Uncle Greg were married the day after our wedding...
Etta Kotowsky (my aunt): "I had a matchmaker named, Mrs. Korastov, and she fixed us up, and we'll be married, October 31st--Halloween--31 years."
Irving Kotowsky (my uncle): "Enough said!"
Roger Baum (friend of my mother): "Hi, kids, this is wisdom speaking...Mary Lou and I met, through, uh, an aunt of hers, who reminds us a lot of Rochelle, and she's uh, a lot of fun...and she put us together...and it stuck...almost 30 years, huh?"
Mary Lou Baum - (friend of my mother) deceased: "Like 32 years!"
Dorris Gold (my great aunt), with Sam Gold (my great uncle) looking on -both deceased "We met over 30 years ago...we were both single parents--with children--someone gave him my telephone number...we met...two weeks later, he proposed, and we got married. And we've been married 33 years...second time around.
Bill Miles (Cyndi's uncle): "What do you want? Uh, yeah, we met, uh, we met at work...and I chased her all over the place.
Tina Miles (Cyndi's aunt): "We both worked at Nuclear Chicago together--"
Bill Miles: "1932..." Laughter from both.
Tina Miles: "Bill used to work in the counter shop, and I worked at the office. And I used to deliver the checks and collect the time cards. And Bill saw me--"
Bill Miles: "I used to ambush her!" Laughter from both.
Tina Miles: "Bill saw me at the time clock one day with a Black Angora sweater on and he said, "why don't you shave that thing?" Ha, ha!"
Bill Miles: "It was my best line!"
Tina Miles: "And I thought he was really rude! And we started dating after that...and we fell in love and got married."
Bill Miles: "That's amazing, isn't it?"
Tina Miles: "And we just want to wish you a very happy, and wonderful marriage."
Bill Miles: "At least as happy as our first 35 have been."
Carol Hollub (friend of Tina and Bill Miles): "Well, John and I were high school sweethearts...and I think I had a crush on him...I spotted him because he was tall, dark, and handsome, and, uh, lived on the wrong side of the railroad tracks...so just a little risky. And, um, so, in order to meet him though, I dated his friend first--"
John Hollub: "A real scumbag!"
Carol Hollub: "Yeah, scumbag...right! Anyway, we dated and we ended up falling in love...and, uh, after five years he finally asked me to marry him--"
John Hollub: "Had to be sure!
Carol Hollub: "It's 35 years almost now. And, uh, we wish the very best for, Cynthia and..." Looks over at a napkin and/or a matchbook on the table--I had never met her before-- "Cory!"
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