AUTHOR'S NOTE: Every good story needs a beginning. In the story A Love Blissed Snowy Day I introduced a girl. I gave no real background or introduction to her. This was done partly because it was unimportant to the overall story and partly to save space/time. But as stories often do this one took a twist and this girl became the story. This story is set up to introduce you to her. But will it answer your questions or leave you with more?
SUMMER LOVE
Through life many paths are taken to find the one that leads to who we are. This summer was my pursuit of culture and art. I had always been interested and dabbled but never fully emerged myself, that was about to change. It turned out I was not the only one with a pursuit of culture. Jo-Anne Simpson (one of my favorite artist) and Laura Deming (who I later became related to briefly), who was a a cellist and member of the orchestra of Lyric Opera of Chicago, created an Opera Group called Pine Mountain Music Festival. Our small town was growing and they took over the cultural education. Both liked me an offered me a job as a Production Assistant. Musical students from all over came this summer (and many after) for the chance to preform with greats like Bergonzi String Quartet of Miami, FL.
I was not doing nothing this particular summer and I smelled adventure and opportunity so I jumped at the chance to go. I had been to Michigan Tech in Houghton many times before and felt quite comfortable going back again. I have seen many beautiful places and things, but few compare to the Houghton and Copper Country Area. The land is gorgeous. Lakes, green grasslands, flowers and the very best nature has to offer.
I'm not sure what I was doing this particular day, but I was walking back from the theater building and was in a hurry to get somewhere. Suddenly I stopped. There she sat on a picnic table reading a book. She was the most beautiful person I had ever seen, and it wasn't all external. Somehow...someway I saw into her. The next moments were straight from any romantic movie. The world around me stood still. In my head I heard music, or it could be that I was surrounded by musicians and one of them was playing. But the romantic in me says the music was in my head. And in that moment I knew. I knew everything. I knew this girl would change my life. I knew that with her I would experience love as I never had. I knew we would be together. And finally I knew my world was about to change forever.
I wasn't nervous. I wasn't shy. I was cool and confident. I had no reason not to be. I knew down somewhere deep this had been predestined. I spoke to her and though she tried not to fully show it, I could tell somehow she knew too. This moment was a defining moment in my life. When I preceded down this path my life was never the same (but that is a later story).
She had a boyfriend who she was on the outs with and she immediately broke up with him. The next day we were bused to a tented dinner with the President of Michigan Tech. We rode on the bus together and talked and the instant bond of yesterday was now sealed. Our conversation flowed like we had known each other forever. Everything was so natural and for the next weeks of the program whenever possible we were inseperable.
The next day after we were done with official duties of the program, free time was granted. That night's activity was to go to the local mall and do some shopping and then to see a movie. She bought me a Guardian Angel to watch over me and then we saw one of the Batman movies. I'd like to tell you which but after the hand holding... well I'm not one to kiss and tell. OOPS!
And that was that. We watched fireworks on the fourth of July as we held each other, we took walks, colored coloring books and stayed up til dawn to see the sunrise. Then a funny thing happened. It was time to leave.
We were so in love we had never considered not being together. We never bothered to ask where the other one lived. It seems silly I'm sure. But we were so in love that we were trapped in our own little world and we had forgotten about reality. And though we lived in the same state, she lived in lower Michigan and I in Upper. For those who don't know that's about 8 hours away and for us it might as well have been a galaxy...
And though I would find many reasons to return to summer programs at Michigan Tech (even one or two with the same group) I was never able to capture the magic of that summer.
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