An Ode to the Man I Married

Friends, let me tell you a story.

I know this man who has a magical power. It is a keen ability to wedge his way into the cracks of a person’s wall and turn their frown upside down. This man just happens to be my husband.

Now I am not talking about people he knows. I am talking about complete strangers. Let me give you an example.

This morning, we were leaving the gym when they started playing one of his favorite songs from A Tribe Called Quest. “Hold on one second, let me chat with the front desk,” he said.

I wonder what people think when they see a guy like Craig approach them. He’s not very intimidating when you first meet him, but I suppose in the right setting he could look like a customer about ready to whine and complain about something. And I’m sure considering this girl was working the front desk of a bare-bones gym, complaints were probably all she ever dealt with.

He asked her a question about the equipment, and she responded with a cordial answer. Then he asked what station they were playing today over the sound system.

She was a little hesitant to answer. “I don’t know really. We don’t control the music. It’s set to whatever the managers leave it on. I just press the power button and that’s it.”

“Yeah, I just wanted to say this is a funky mix you guys have on,” he said. “It really got me going during my workout. Great choice.”

And as soon as she realized this dorky, middle-aged white guy just used the word “funky” in a sentence, her face just lit up with a smile at his silly banter and she laughed. “Well, I’ll be sure to let her know,” she said, and she wished us a good day as we left.

It is hard to believe that Craig was once painfully shy all throughout his childhood as well as a majority of his adolescence. He told me he used to be terrified of talking in public. Although I don’t see him running for public office anytime soon, I think he’s come out of his shell since then. Seeing him interact with people is such a delight. I found a good man with a good heart who’s a good person to be around.

Photo: Adobe Stock.

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