I had escaped Provo for the weekend to visit family in Idaho. Pocatello to be exact. I was spending the night at my aunt and uncles, specifically I was going to check on/visit my grandfather, still grieving my grandmothers death from the month before.
I had no idea while packing that I'd meet someone so special. My grandfather was a chain smoker, so I always packed a weeks worth of clothes for the weekend to change out of smokey stuff and yet I managed to not put a single date worthy outfit in my suitcase. That would be fate because as soon as I saw my aunt, she just knew she had the perfect guy to set me up with. She asked if I would object to being set up, I figured I had nothing to lose, so my aunt called Pat.
Pat is the mom, my now mother in law. See, Kent still lived at home, at age 24, in the basement. Oh he paid rent, he worked, went to church, he just happened to live at home. Well ok, he was a bit of a mamas boy but when we met, he was so mesmerized by my good looks and personality, he cut the apron strings as soon as he said good night on that first date.
Pat went to ask Kent how he felt about a date and Kent, figuring he had a *cough* year long dry spell, thought going out with a girl might not be such a bad idea. Kent called my aunts house to officially ask me out.
That phone call was weird. Not because I was being asked out on a date, but because Kent's voice was eerily similar to an old flames. While dating, I had to pause for a few seconds and listen hard to figure out who I was talking to. ANYWAY, the man asked me out for Mexican and a movie, actually The Lion King. I didn't mention that Mexican wasn't my favorite and hung up the phone realizing I literally had nothing, I mean nothing to wear on a date. I had my weekend slouch clothes, half of which were in a garbage bag reeking of cigarette smoke from visiting my grandpa.
I managed to find a clean sweatshirt without holes and jeans that were only mildly worn in the knees. I did have my make-up and curling iron and went to town. I spent an hour putting myself to together. When we talked in later years, Kent recalled that I took his breath away when I answered the door but he had no idea that I'd worked so hard on my hair or my face.
Right before he came my aunt panicked, starting mumbling out loud that she didn't' really know him and what if he was a serial killer???!!!!! When Kent drove up with his rig, outfitted with half a dozen cellular antennas and HAM radio antennas, Nancy's face immediately brightened as she announced that if I disappeared, at least his vehicle would be easy to describe to the police. I rolled my eyes as I reminded her that this was her idea.
The doorbell rang.
I answered the door and there stood a man, blond, straight hair, receding hairline, glasses. I can't say I was blown away but he gave off a very nice vibe, sincere, kind, genuine. I remember smiling shyly and then he spoke, and I felt so at ease with him. We started talking about missions and conversation never stopped. We didn't have awkward pauses, it wasn't like we'd just met, it was like we were old friends.
Our second date, Kent confided to me that he had been always painfully shy around women. Dating was a challenge, he never knew what to say. Actually everyone told me how quiet he was. Never spoke unless he was with friends and as our relationship progressed it was assumed that *I* did all the talking. This wasn't the case. It wasn't the case at all. Kent told me that just a few days before he had prayed, prayed that when he met the right woman, he'd know because he'd be able to talk to her.
See, I never met the shy man. From the moment we met, he was at ease with me. He was soft spoken yet energetic. He sold cell phones, volunteered for the local Search and Rescue, served an LDS mission in Jacksonville Florida. *smile* We started talking about missions, sci-fi, families, fathers, just everything. It was all so natural. I had the distinct impression that this was someone I could marry. I knew our personalities, goals and desires were compatible. Of course, I thought he was enjoying our date but I didn't know if he felt the same way that I did.
It wasn't until years later that I found out that Kent was determined to marry someone that loved Mexican, so he always took dates out for Mexican, if they didn't like it, then he wouldn't take them out again. I tease him sometimes on missing out on me if I'd spoken up. *laugh* Seriously, out of all the things to look at in a spouse, this one point was non-negotiable for him. Lucky for him I'm polite, he would have missed out all for the love of Mexican food.
We went to the movies after dinner. Really, movies are such an awful place to take a date, especially a first date. You can't snuggle, hold hands, you just sit in the dark next to each other. Luckily I had already seen the movie, oh the previous weekend because I had trouble paying attention. I kept thinking about dinner, replaying our conversation in my head. It had been a very long time since I'd gone on such a nice date. I wouldn't say it was "magical" or even "perfect" but it was fun, lots of fun and I craved to just go out and have a good time on a date. No expectations, just relax and have a good time. That's what happened. It was exactly what I needed.
After taking me home, we had a few awkward moments at the doorstep. No kisses, but neither one of us knew what to do, since it was the only awkward moment of the night, it was easily moved past I think. There was a quick squeeze and then Kent asked me to go to church with him the next day, at his singles ward.
You have to understand the typical Latter Day Saint Singles ward to understand what an incredibly bold move this was for him to make. To bring a single woman to church with him is rumor mill fodder and dating death because you're labeled as taken and written off. Singles wards can be cruel but I don't' think the man cared. He just wanted to spend time with me. And I wasn't about to say no.
The next day it was easy to get doled up. I of course had brought church clothes. Re-did hair and make-up, not realizing that I shouldn't have gone to all the trouble, he didn't notice anyway. We said goodbye after church and my heart beat a little faster every time I thought of him.
I opted to spend the night again at my aunts and drive back to school in the morning at four am. Yes I was a little crazy, yes I made it and as soon as I was at my apartment I woke up my roommate to tell her about my date. I was bursting with excitement to tell *exasperated hand gesture* someone about my date. She laughed at me, as I giggled like a school girl.
I didn't hear from Kent for another two weeks. I thought about him but I didn't hear from him. Well, I had moved apartments about a month before and *laugh* sorta forgot to give my family my new phone number. So Kent called my aunt in Pocatello, got a number it didn't work. Called my aunt in Salt Lake, she didn't have my new number either. He got my parents number in Vermont, called and got my brother Malcolm who helpfully supplied that he didn't care what my new phone number was. The man called all over the US trying to find out how to reach me.
He finally resorted to calling my job. I was teaching Swedish at the MTC (Missionary Training Center), as one of six teachers, it was pretty easy to track me down. He actually called the MTC, left a message that made it's way to my supervisor and I got it that night. Oh my, I got the message at the start of my shift and I was very distracted during my shift.
I will admit that as far as being a teacher goes, I was a mediocre teacher at best however the Lord works in mysterious ways and when I was called and asked if I wanted to interview (they were desperate for a Swedish teacher), I received a very strong impression that I was being given that job for a reason. I struggled and really had to exercise some serious faith to help do what I struggled with. I
found myself feeling very close to the Lord which I think helped me be where I needed to be to recognize Kent's worth.
I called Kent and we arranged to meet in Salt Lake the next day. While visiting and walking together, at one point our hands swung and touched, next thing we were holding hands. The sparks just flew. Kent swears up and down that I grabbed his hand but that's not what happened. And he enjoyed it as much as I did. *laugh*
We had a dumb little thing we did as roommates where if you held hands you owed everyone m&m's, if you kissed you owed everyone ice cream. I bought m&m's on the way home and threw them at my roommates. I was so excited.
Now that Kent had my phone number we were able to talk and we did, daily, for hours. My roommates loved me. Well, I don't think I was to bad because we talked late at night and I always surrendered the phone at the drop of a hat. Kent came down a month later, we officially had known each other six weeks and had gone on three dates. We went up the canyon and stood under bridal veil falls watching the water. It was fall and it was closed so we were just past the parking lot but we were alone and we snuggled and talked.
Finally Kent held me tight and told me that he'd understand if I needed time but he knew he wanted to marry me, to spend eternity with me. I looked up into his beautiful eyes and told him that I already knew it was right and said we probably should get a ring then.
I freaked out my roommates, my best friend especially. One roommate was sure for the next couple of weeks I was playing an elaborate joke because surely I wasn't really getting married. Most of my roommates knew I was serious. My best friend was sure I'd gone off the deep end.
I was one hundred percent at peace with my decision to marry Kent. If I had any doubts, was nervous even, felt any negative feelings in the least, I could not have married him.
I dated a man on and off for five years before Kent. Whenever marriage came up, I was a wreck, an absolutely wreck. It felt wrong, it was a relief to put it on the back burner. With Kent, complete opposite. I was so at peace. I knew it was right. Kent did too, although Kent did have a major panic attack the day after he proposed, poor guy.
We had a very short six week engagement and married exactly three months after we met. So much joy, so much happiness in holding the hand of my sweetheart while making promises to God and to each other.
And to think, it all started with a blind date.
