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One shot at a ‘super date’ pays dividends
’ve told a few stories about my relationship with my lovely and talented wife. In our 22 years (and change) of marriage, we’ve had some amazing experiences together and have led a life together that I wouldn’t trade for anything. But if you could go back to May 1998, you wouldn’t have bet on it ever happening. I’m not even sure you could say we were friends back then. We knew the same people and spent time together — and I was sort of dating her roommate — but we didn’t see eye-to-eye on very much. That changed at my college graduation. It was May 9, a day that would become memorable for a few reasons. Shanna showed up at my graduation, dressed to kill in hopes of impressing a former boyfriend (that’s a different story). She turned more than a few heads in Boiling Springs that day, but mine is the one that’s important for this tale. I went on the last date with a woman other than my wife that night, but I was already hatching a plan. What do you do when you suddenly develop feelings for a woman that you’ve been actively hostile to in the six months that you’ve known her? Turn on the charm, of course. Unfortunately for me, Shanna
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wasn’t quick to forgive me for my relentless teasing (that’s another story). Long before “How I Met Your Mother” made it famous, I went to the playbook. Since charm was ineffective, I moved on to mild stalking, or to avoid legal woes, we’ll call it persistence. So, I started asking her out. Often. Shanna was unmoved. She said no every time, no matter the offer. My friends told me to give it up (yet another story there, about how one of them in particular still owes me a case of beer), and I was running out of ideas. Finally, I played my last card. I called her at work, and made her an offer. “Go on one date with me,” I said. “And if you don’t have a good time, I’ll never bother you again.” Shanna, sensing an opportunity to be rid of a pest, agreed. And as soon as I hung up the phone, my joy turned to panic. This had to be the best date ever. Many years later, I heard the term “super date” on “How I Met Your Mother,” but back in 1998, I had to plan one. As any good writer might do, I started with the ending. Knowing Shanna’s affinity for the ocean, I knew we had to wind up there at some point. That opened up a realm of possibilities, since I knew we’d be driving from Marion
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