That day, they were perfect
October 23, 2011 8:17 PM   Subscribe

A man finds out the story of his parents' second date. [Warning: may cause dust to be attracted to your eye]
posted by shothotbot (33 comments total) 71 users marked this as a favorite
 
Thanks for posting this. I like how it doesn't go where I thought it would.
posted by umbú at 8:30 PM on October 23, 2011 [6 favorites]


Wonderful. Makes you hope that everyone has at least one moment like that.
posted by so_gracefully at 8:37 PM on October 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


Very nice post. Thanks.
posted by insulglass at 8:38 PM on October 23, 2011


Awww.
posted by Curious Artificer at 8:40 PM on October 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


So warm and nice. Just enough to heat my apartment for the night. Thanks! (Why aren't we working on turning sentimentality into an alternative fuel source?)
posted by mykescipark at 8:49 PM on October 23, 2011


Now that's romance! What a sweet story.
posted by addelburgh at 8:53 PM on October 23, 2011


Dust in the eye, indeed! Such a sweet story, thanks for sharing.
posted by dorey_oh at 9:00 PM on October 23, 2011


2nd time I saw you, I had to see you again! (couldn't find a YouTube link, but its a great song)
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 9:02 PM on October 23, 2011


Heh, follicles.
posted by WalterMitty at 9:05 PM on October 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


“If you’ll really take me as I am, then I am yours for as long as you might have me.”

That's all any of us can really ask for. Thanks, shothotbot.
posted by arcticseal at 9:20 PM on October 23, 2011 [4 favorites]


Wow. Goosebumps.

Had a similar moment with someone once; won't get into details. We didn't stay together forever, but I treasure every moment we had.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 9:26 PM on October 23, 2011


When I read the initial headline on the front page, this song immediately came to mind. I've heard billions of love songs, mind you. For some reason, though, this one came to mind.

When I read the actual story itself, I instantly felt goosebumps.
posted by HermanoBluth at 9:35 PM on October 23, 2011 [1 favorite]


This really reminded me of the way my grandparents talked about their courtship. My grandfather told my grandmother he was going to marry her the day he met her. I miss them terribly too.
posted by Sylvia Plath's terrible fish at 9:46 PM on October 23, 2011 [3 favorites]


"I got to the end, and saw some very real horror in their eyes as they connected this story to the family their daughter and sister was about to marry into."

Does that mean that this story coincidentally also happened to another family, or what?
posted by banished at 9:58 PM on October 23, 2011


"It's... it's them!"

I was quickly ushered out of the house, and she didn't return my emails for a few days.

The brief email I got a week later told me that it was her father, that he was never ever able to grow that beautiful moustache that had defined him for all of his adult life.

With a name to go by it was now trivial to do the web search. They actually had a website devoted to it, the moustache was called "the Gronniger", named after my never-to-be-wife's great great grandfather. Extensive photos of the generations of Gronniger fathers, sons, couisns, uncles, all proudly sporting that huge ridiculous stache.

My father had destroyed a family, and killed my one chance at true love. I was never able to look him in the eye again.
posted by Meatbomb at 10:03 PM on October 23, 2011 [19 favorites]


Does that mean that this story coincidentally also happened to another family, or what?

No, his fiancee's family was horrified (at least temporarily) at the thought of their daughter marrying a guy whose family was so casually violent, and continued to retell the story for laughs.
posted by spaceman_spiff at 10:56 PM on October 23, 2011


"Does that mean that this story coincidentally also happened to another family, or what?

No, his fiancee's family was horrified (at least temporarily) at the thought of their daughter marrying a guy whose family was so casually violent, and continued to retell the story for laughs."


This. Of course, it should be noted that in addition to this story there were several other traditional family so tires that were - shall we say - darkly humorous. I believe they were truly worried.
posted by RTod at 11:30 PM on October 23, 2011 [5 favorites]


Romance is for solids.
posted by Ad hominem at 11:31 PM on October 23, 2011 [2 favorites]


Wow, it sure is dusty in here, isn't it.
posted by ArkhanJG at 11:51 PM on October 23, 2011


Damnable onions continually being cut at my desk...
posted by marmaduke_yaverland at 12:21 AM on October 24, 2011 [1 favorite]


I'm having a good cry right now, as in a good cry. And I ain't ashamed to admit it. Thank you for posting this shothotbot, it'll stay with me for a long time.
posted by humph at 3:41 AM on October 24, 2011


There, but for the grace of God, goes Martin Milner, Jr.
posted by briank at 4:59 AM on October 24, 2011 [3 favorites]


You know, I wish y'all would stop trying to get the cold shriveled lump of anxiety and nihilism in my chest to grow three sizes. Because if that happens, there will be repercussions. Widows and orphans don't evict themselves, you know!
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:44 AM on October 24, 2011 [2 favorites]


Welcome to MeFi, RTod.
Lovely story.
posted by chococat at 6:22 AM on October 24, 2011 [1 favorite]


Thanks for the story of telling a courtship story, appropriately meta.

On the one hand I'm happy sad about the bittersweet ending of the mother's passing, but I'm glad she can't reveal her story was also invented (heh).
posted by mistersquid at 7:14 AM on October 24, 2011


On the one hand I'm happy sad about the bittersweet ending of the mother's passing, but I'm glad she can't reveal her story was also invented (heh).


If you can't say anything nice about anyone, mistersquid, come sit beside me:)
posted by Jody Tresidder at 7:58 AM on October 24, 2011


Thank you!
posted by stonedcoldsober at 8:29 AM on October 24, 2011


One thing I really like about this is the subtle way it reminds us that we are just supporting actors in the drama of our parents' lives.
posted by shothotbot at 8:46 AM on October 24, 2011 [5 favorites]


Between this and the GTA anniversary post, I am just a basket of sparkly unicorns and fluffy kittens.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 10:59 AM on October 24, 2011


I live a long way from my parents. We are a family of talkers -- well, not my dad -- but a lot of my milestones hve passed since I moved far away. And I worry that I will miss the chances to hear stories like this, or what few stories I haven't yet heard.

Thanks for this.
posted by wenestvedt at 12:53 PM on October 24, 2011 [1 favorite]


Rtod, thanks for sharing that story. But I can't help buy wonder why they kept it to themselves so long!
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 12:58 PM on October 24, 2011


That's a nice story, and did make my eyes dusty! But I wish they also posted the picture with the article. I love Utah and old pictures- that really would have made the story.
posted by bquarters at 3:54 PM on October 24, 2011


very nice!... Maybe it's just me but I prefer the first story. Nothing says true love like ripping another man's moustache off!
posted by greenhornet at 8:45 PM on October 24, 2011 [1 favorite]


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