Fifty years ago, on Saint Patrick's Day, it all started when I gave Brenda a single green carnation. It was kind of an olive branch for all the times I told her I would be a single missionary pilot out in some foreign jungle. Now, I really had an interest in her. It was totally different from the first time I met her as she strolled in the choir room, after getting into senior choir a year early because of her schedule. Then it was a thought of, whose this trying to break all the rules. But I knew all about breaking rules as I started in the senior high select group called the "Vocalairs"when I was in seventh grade, when I should have been at least a ninth grader. But oh, how she could sing! That beautiful mellow sound of Karen Carpenter was what came out of her mouth. I loved listening to her.
The December of 1973, we were in the Michigan State Honor's Choir together and something happened that never happened to me before. Our quartet from West Ottawa High School stopped by a Michigan favorite, Elias Bros' Big Boy, a hamburger joint. Somehow Brenda Johnson and I got in our own table, and we ordered a hot fudge cake with ice cream together. But instead of digging in, she took a forkful and leaned over to give me a bite. I smiled from ear to ear as I usually did with my squinty eyed Japanese smile and scooped up a forkful for her! Something happened to me at that moment, but I never told her until later. I let her wiggle into my heart! We ate the whole plate like that, passing food across that table, leaning over looking at each other in the eyes. She asked a lot of questions and I asked a lot of questions. Before we knew it, it was time to go. On the drive home, we were in the back seat, and she fell asleep leaning on my arm. I pretended to be sleeping, too, but my mind was racing with thoughts of being together with Brenda even more.
There was one problem. She had a boyfriend. But that's another story...
