The stories and experiences shared here reflect my personal journey. Names and some details have been changed to protect individuals’ privacy. These posts are meant to highlight my own insights and growth, not to identify others.
I got to know Irene as I was her PT following both of her knee replacement surgeries. Irene is a petite (i.e., short) lady with jet-black hair; she has bright blue eyes. (sort of like Fletcher’s coloring). Her husband is 6’5″, so they make a striking pair with her being so short and him being so tall. I asked her how she and Edward met. They are both from Long Island.
When Irene was 17, she said she was riding her bike and saw a group of guys ahead of her. She said she “prayed” she’d get past them without any of them saying anything. But, as she was riding by, she heard someone call out her name, “Irene.” She had met Edward at some point before. He is several years older than her. At the time, Irene was dating Edward’s best friend. The boyfriend got a job somewhere else, and that’s when she started dating Edward. There was a conversation between Irene and the boyfriend at some point, where he said, “I said you could date anyone, but I meant anyone but him,” lol.
ADDENDUM: Irene had a follow-up story. After she and Edward had been on a few dates, he went somewhere with family/friends to go hunting. He was gone for a few weeks and didn’t let Irene know he was going anywhere. She just thought he’d lost interest (obviously pre-cell phone days). When he got back in town, he called her up and said he wanted to take her out. Irene had a date with someone else that night and told Edward so. He told her to cancel the date. She said she wasn’t about to do that and didn’t. Edward showed up at her house, and Irene wasn’t there, haha. He just assumed she would cancel the date. Irene says Edward learned his lesson.
Thought: I love to hear about sassy women like Irene, who stood up against a boyfriend or a husband, especially in a day and age when they were expected to “obey.”
Note: Image generated using WordPress AI feature from the prompt, a couple from the 60’s.