Some folks may surprise: Is real love at first sight only a romantic fantasy? Or does it ever truly occur? These weren’t ideas that had but occurred to me after I was 13 years previous. I used to be sufficiently old to have began noticing women, however the notion of real love, not to mention at first sight, was nonetheless summary. That was quickly going to alter.
My predominant love again then was music. I used to be taking part in keyboards in bands with schoolmates and had desires of changing into a rock star. I used to be into music by bands like Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Sure, however my older sister and I have been additionally massive followers of Elton John. After we heard he was going to carry out on the town, we begged our mom to take us. Ever the trouper, she agreed to load up the automobile with me, my sister and a bunch of my sister’s teenage mates.
Certainly one of these mates invited her youthful sister Susan to come back alongside. Being the 2 youngest within the automobile, Susan and I have been relegated to the “way back” of our Ford Nation Squire station wagon.
Sitting throughout from her on these tiny fold-out rear seats, I felt one thing I’d by no means felt earlier than. She was tall and hanging, with lengthy brown hair that had straight bangs above her brilliant brown eyes. She laughed with a dimpled smile and was simple to speak to. I used to be immediately smitten and practically forgot why we have been all taking that lengthy drive from the San Fernando Valley to Inglewood. Is that this what real love appears like?
As soon as contained in the Fabulous Discussion board, I made certain to select a seat subsequent to her. Elton was additionally fabulous, although my thoughts admittedly wandered a lot of the time. I’m certain I spent a lot of the present her moderately than the stage. She sang alongside to “Bennie and the Jets” and “Crocodile Rock,” whereas I questioned: Is she feeling what I’m feeling? Is there a spark for her too? Or is she postpone by my braces, my glasses or my peak drawback? These questions must wait — Elton was her focus that night time.
Again at Portola Junior Excessive Faculty in Tarzana, I took each alternative to attempt to run into her. She was a grade beneath me, in order that meant scouting the courtyard at lunchtime and between lessons, then attempting to give you causes to have a dialog. A secure excuse was to debate no matter was new with Elton. I shocked her as soon as with a brand new Elton John album on its first day of launch. I typically would handle to give you excuses to cellphone her, and we might have lengthy conversations till one among us can be informed by a sibling to cease hogging the road.
By way of these encounters my emotions for her continued to develop. She was clever, witty and sort, and she or he shared my love of creating music. How might there ever be anybody extra good for me?
Earlier than too lengthy I acquired up the braveness to profess my like to her. I went over to her home and she or he listened patiently as I informed her how I felt and expressed my certainty that we’d marry sometime. Susan sat quietly and listened, and with kindness she gently defined that she didn’t really feel the identical approach. She mentioned that she hoped we might stay mates. Naturally I used to be crushed however by some means nonetheless imagined this was merely a brief setback.
We did keep up a correspondence over the following few years, albeit with much less frequency. I continued to play in numerous bands, and she or he grew to become the star of her highschool choir. We’d share our experiences on lengthy cellphone calls. By the point I turned 16, my household had moved south to Westchester close to Los Angeles Worldwide Airport, and hers had moved additional north to Westlake Village. The additional distance didn’t utterly diminish my hope, however it actually made the percentages of us crossing paths far more distant. However as luck would have it, that summer time Susan and her sister dropped by for a go to in the future once they occurred to be within the space.
As she acquired out of the automobile, I immediately had the identical feeling I skilled three years earlier. Might issues be completely different for her this time? I now had the benefit of my braces being off. Contact lenses had changed my glasses — plus the peak benefit was now mine. Lo and behold, she casually instructed that perhaps we might exit someday. I made certain that “sometime” can be as quickly as doable.
Our first actual date was ice skating at Topanga Plaza, adopted by dinner at Carl’s Jr. She was nonetheless simple to speak to, and nonetheless the love of my life. She additionally revealed a mischievous aspect. She had mentioned earlier than the date that she didn’t know find out how to skate very properly, however then proceeded with a smile to skate circles round me with the grace of an Olympian. It was the primary of many examples that Susan was by no means somebody to be underestimated.
We ended that night with our first kiss, one thing I had been imagining since that first live performance. It was well worth the wait, and we’ve been inseparable ever since.
Sunday marks 50 years since that fateful Elton John live performance on Oct. 6, 1974. Within the many years since, Susan and I’ve performed in bands collectively, began corporations collectively and traveled the world collectively. We’ve shared over 42 years of marriage, raised two fantastic youngsters and have been blessed with a grandchild. And naturally, we’ve attended numerous extra Elton John reveals. By way of all of it, I really feel actually blessed to have had 50 years of that “love at first sight” feeling every time I see her.
The writer is a semiretired strategic adviser for audio and musical devices corporations, having beforehand been a studio musician and product designer. He and Susan, each Los Angeles natives, performed in bands collectively for a few years and co-founded the guitar merchandise firm Line 6. They now reside in Ventura County and nonetheless play music collectively at house.