Right Beside Me

On our first date was in the spring of 1988 and I was so nervous the waitress at the Provision Company restaurant in the Sunriver lodge refilled my water glass a half dozen times. I had a sesame chicken salad which was a little too sweet for my liking but I didn't really notice at that particular moment. Lynda sat to my left at the little table and looked all so sophisticated and cultured. She was a WSU grad, manager at Sunriver resort, wore the nice clothes of someone in that position and was able to make the lunch tab disappear with a just few words to our waitress.

By contrast I was hick. Just two years of community college I drove a growling white forestry pumper which needed to have the passenger seat dusted if someone were ever going to sit on it.

It wasn't long before I learned that her work veneer was extremely thin. Lynda played coed softball for Izzy's Pizza, her mom and dad had weekend property up near Easton which featured a junker double wide and when I suggested we go for a mountain hike and take a lunch, she accepted (picture above). Lynda didn't mind getting dirty. On our first "real" date we went to a small production of the play "Bleacher Bums"- a choice that turned out to be exceptionally prophetic.

We both knew from the start that we would spend the rest of lives together. At least I did. Being with her was easy and felt so right. Inside something seemed to say, "oh there you are, now we can get started". She kids me for having never actually asked her to marry me. But there was never any need. Once we found each other there was no question we would always be together.

Besides my love I also know that I need her. I've never been very responsible or had much interest in grown up things like money and politics. I'm much more child-like, dreaming myself up to the stars at night or riding a wave of wind as it rushes though our trees in the evening. My craving to keep life simple has meant that someone has had to pick up my adult slack and of course that person is Lynda.

She does know who she married and so rarely complains about it, but every once in awhile, when my divergences veer beyond the bounds of even her enormous tolerance, she pulls me back in and sets me back on the path once more. Without her I'd surely walk off the cliff.

So this last 10 days I've paused and reflected on things. It was a naturally time to do so. I had intended on a light running week anyway, to brace myself for the race training about to start. And I was changing jobs, leaving the fire fighting business to go the prevention side. A big change and also worthy of a rest. Marathon training and a new job are both challenging and a little scary. But I know I'll be able to do it. I know because Lynda will be where she's been since our Sunriver days. Right beside me.