How our love story began – my PowerHouseCreatives Contest entry

I’ve told the story of how hubby & I met at various times over the years, but I don’t believe I’ve ever blogged about it. So it seemed the natural choice for subject matter in the latest #powerhousecreatives contest that’s all about love, in honor of Valentine’s Day.

Set the time machine for July, 1987

The summer of my 22nd year, I’d just finished four years of college. However, I hadn’t finished four year’s worth of credits (a story for another day), so I needed to return for that upcoming Fall semester. During the break, I continued to work part-time at a group home for troubled teens in Dover, NH, which was about 20 minutes from my college campus, and about 90 minutes from my parent’s home (where I still lived) in Magnolia, MA. I also worked part-time for my father’s burglar & fire alarm system business.

At the time, I’d had a running… difference of opinion (lol!) with my father over the state of the chairs in his monitoring station. He didn’t see an issue with the fact they’d been brought over from his former appliance store office, which made them older than I was at the time! However, he told me I was welcome to shop around for better ones.

The opportunity to do some chair shopping came during the Fourth of July weekend. I’d driven up to Dover to pick up my paycheck from the group home, and decided to swing by a nearby store in town called, “Tom Ray’s Office Supply” to see what they had in stock. Sadly though, there was a big sign that said, “Closed for inventory” (and believe it or not, that’s actually pertinent… I promise…).

About a week or so later, I had to head back up to the Dover area with my best friend/college roommate, and decided to give the office supply store another looksee. This time, it was open, and we started to browse around. A very short time later, this gorgeous guy walks around the corner, with a name tag that read, “J. York” and said something like, “Can I help you ladies with something?”

I honestly have no idea what he actually said, because I immediately turned into a stammering, blushing, giggly pile of mush!

via GIPHY

Somehow, I managed to explain what I was looking for, and the next thing I knew, we were bantering back and forth like we’d known each other for years. I joked, I punned, I flirted, all the while very aware of that my friend was looking at me like I had two heads, whilst simultaneously grinning at our ridiculousness.

via GIPHY

Long story short (yes, I know – too late! 😂 ), I did end up buying 5 chairs, and had to fill out an order form, since they weren’t in stock at the moment (meaning I’d have to come back to get them). I told him it wasn’t fair that now he knew my first name and phone number, but I didn’t know his. Mind you, this was during the dark, dark days before Google was a thing. I promised him that by the time I returned to pick up the chairs, I’d have sussed it out.

During the car ride home, my friend was absolutely DYING over the whole exchange, and swore that he was the male version of me. She also mentioned that the moment I saw him, my neck and face turned “neon red” and stayed that way the entire time. Not embarrassing at all, right? 😳

In the interest of time (meaning, the deadline for the contest is in a few minutes…lol), let me just say that thanks to the phone book from my college apartment and a phone call to the store asking about the nice young man who helped me, but I couldn’t remember his name, and the manager helpfully said, “Oh, you mean Jim? bit of clever detective work, I had his name, and apparently his heart, by the time I returned to the store.

Oh, and that fourth of July thing? If the store had been opened, and I shopped on that particular day, we probably wouldn’t have met. He’d only just started at the store that weekend, and was stuck out back doing training/inventory.

At a photo booth in the mall, some time in the fall of 1987


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10 thoughts on “How our love story began – my PowerHouseCreatives Contest entry

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    1. Also, it just occurred to me that I haven’t seen any posts from you in my WP reader as of late, but I know you’ve been posting. So I checked, and now my brain hurts.

      Not sure how this happened, but according to my WP reader, I was following another blog of yours with the same name (and same URL once I clicked through), but the feed hadn’t been updated since early 2015!

      I’ve just unsubbed the old one, and subbed to the correct one (hopefully…lol).

  1. This is so sweet, Traci! Thank you for sharing the beginning of your relationship – a fun story to read during this Valentine’s season. Also, I love the name of your hometown. Is Magnolia, MA a picturesque little town? This is what I have in my head right now. 🙂

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