An age old friendship

It is amazing to me how POSITIVELY the brief time I spent with Arthur has affected me! During the past 18 months I felt myself age tremendously. I don't really look much different, but I was feeling unattractive, slow and OLD.

It isn't the "romance" thing, as much as spending time with an old friend has reminded me of the person I used to be. I am remembering the Stephanie of the days before I even thought of being anybody's wife. I am now determined to get back to being myself, active, fun-loving and decent-looking.

I've started remembering Arthur from so long ago. I adored him back then, but I was too young and inexperienced to know what to do with those feelings. Eventually we went on to more serious relationships with other people and drifted apart, although we remained friends for all these years.

Here is a photo of us together then. This was taken in May of '72. We think it may be the only picture with both of us together when we were dating, although we have quite a few that we took of each other.

He was so good and kind to me, and we had so much fun back then! We never argued with each other about anything. He used to take me for long rides, first in his green 1971 Pinto, later in his '74 Hornet. One year he bought me a huge Easter basket from Hudson's. I wore his class ring for a little while, but as a "friedship" ring. I saw 'Gone with the Wind' my very first time with him. He was the only guy I knew that smelled great with "British Sterling" cologne!

I remember listening to his McIntosh (not Macintosh, different company) stereo and how he would explain the different types of stereo equipment. Arthur is the person who introduced me to the music of 'The Moody Blues.' We also both happened to be into classical music. When he moved into his first apartment I helped move his stuff, and helped him decorate it. (No, nothing happened between us! He and Sue were already an item.)

We originally met at square dancing. We used to dance with a group called the "Teen Wheelers." I was a newbie at the time, and he was in the advanced group known as "Angels." Although a much better dancer than I, he put up with me until I learned how! I remember how he would ask me to dance, hand behind his back, throwing a teasing smile over his shoulder.

I remember the terrible night his brother Kenny died in a freak accident. I remember him coming over to my house and singing with me, my dad and my brother.

We definitely had a past. Do we have a future???