I was living in Louisville when I met my match. I’d moved back to my home town from North Carolina after winding down a business I started upon graduating from Duke. I started a second software company in Louisville, but that one also fizzled out after a few years. I re-started my career working at a local company selling engineering software and hardware.
I dated a little, and while there were some terrific women, nothing really fit my idea of a long term relationship. Friends and family fixed me up on a few blind dates – most of which ended often before the dessert course was ordered.
I saw an ad in the paper (yes – back when we read newspapers) for Singles Night at the Hawley Cooke Bookstore on Valentine’s Day. I remember thinking that if my mom were still around and I told her I met someone at an event like this, she would likely approve. It was worth a shot since most of the other avenues were not guiding me to the kind of person who might be a good fit.
I can’t remember exactly how many people where there, but it was a crowd. My first match was an attorney from Louisville. While we enjoyed some conversation, it was pretty clear that she might not make it past the main course at dinner, much less the dessert menu.
I was thinking of calling it a night when I noticed this beautiful young woman that I had not spoken to. She was there with a friend, and while she was attempting to be social, did not seem all that interested in finding ‘a match’. She walked up, introduced herself and asked to see my card. I showed it to her and she said, ‘Well, aren’t you lucky – it looks like we matched.’ I’ve heard people tell stories about the moments they remember when they first met their spouse – this is mine. I was indeed very fortunate that day.
We enjoyed some conversation and finally, as I was walking her out to her car, I asked for a phone number. She obliged.
After a few stumbles arranging our first date (Debbie’s memory on this differs from mine), we started seeing each other on a regular basis. We shared many of the same interests, yet we were different in many ways. Most importantly, we became friends and that carries through today, 21 years later.
A few years after we met, my career brought me back to North Carolina. In a leap of faith, Debbie decided to also move, leaving behind her job of 17 years as a paralegal. Shortly after the move and a little more than two years of dating, I was convinced this was a match that would stick. Fortunately, she did not swallow the engagement ring in the glass of champagne I served that night and said ‘yes’ to my proposal. We were married on, what else, Valentine’s Day in Louisville.
We shared our story with the bookstore and they were so excited they featured our wedding on the local news channel. I’m not sure how popular Valentine’s Day is for weddings, but it makes it nearly impossible to forget my anniversary.
After my trip to the ER last year, Debbie says she does not want a repeat of that day. I have no worries that will happen again. I’m not sure exactly how we’ll spend the day, but it will probably involve a nice meal with both my Valentines – Debbie and Anna. We’ll probably cap it off with some big chocolate brownies from Anna’s Gourmet Goodies and a scoop of raspberry sorbet – one of our favorites.
Valentine’s Day for me is a reminder of just how lucky I was to find my match on that fateful night at a bookstore in Louisville. I hope you’ll take time to remember how and where you found your match, and share that story. And if you haven’t yet found your match, keep looking. If you can still find a local bookstore, that might be a good place to start.
Of course, if you’d like to send the special person or persons in your life something memorable, hop on over to our website. We’ll bake, pack and ship it, and toss in a little extra scoop of love, no additional charge.
Have a memorable Valentine’s Day,
–Chris