THIRTY THREE

John and I are celebrating our 33d Anniversary today.

I should say "33d Anniversary (as observed)". Like it ain't really the day but it is a day that we settled on a long time ago.

April Fool's Day coincides, in case you didn't notice.

It seemed appropriate. At least for me.

I spent the first few years running from the obvious fact that we were made for each other, soul mates, perfect partners.

It is scary to find who and what you want right there under your nose. So to speak.

He is shorter than I am.

We met sometime in late April or early May through and ad that I had placed in the free newspapers of the time.

Today, people use the internet. We used box numbers. Very similar but more labor intensive.

He was the last in a line of responses to the ad. I had not done badly but also not met anyone I wanted to date again.

I guess that is doing badly.

I got his note and called him at his office in City Hall. We agreed to meet after his work for a drink.

I can still remember seeing him come across the City Hall mall and knowing that he was the one.

Now that is a sign of something significant.

We had the drink. We went back to my place. The rest is history.

We were on each other in the elevator. Another sign.

I hope this isn't TMI but you gotta know that it was a powerful meet.

I remember every minute. More or less.

We had a lot of trouble at first matching our needs to be together and to be apart.

It was a crazy and wonderful time.

I got him a dozen yellow roses today. That is the old sign of a gay relationship. Or that is what the old guys said.

We were not of the closet but it was fun to adopt a signal with our own special spin.

I was going to get him a bucket of daisies but they don't have those out here.

That would mark a time when we were not seeing each other and I brought someone else home.

There at my door was a galvanized bucket full of daisies with a great note from John.

It ruined my date as he had calculated. I remember the guy saying that "he must really like you to do that".

He rarely fought fair.

And he/we won.

Thirty three happy years and still counting.