Linda and I met in New Mexico and love good Mexican food. I took her to a new place in the next city over from ours. This place is so good that they make their own guacamole. They also have their own wandering guitarist, like a mariachi without traditional garb. He wandered over to our table and when I told him we were celebrating our 20th Anniversary, he smiled, congratulated us, and sang us something "a little different" in spanish. It has some minor chords and some impressive fretwork and a haunting, lilting theme. I caught “musica”, “amour”, “corazon”; music, love, heart. Music really /is/ a universal language.
Change it up
After dinner, Linda said that she wanted to see if a certain store was open. She had no way of knowing that she was playing right into my hands. We drove out that way but it had closed at 7pm. Since we were on the edge of town, I took a different way home.
We wound our way around peaceful country roads talking the entire way, and listening to U2's "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb", a smoky, surprisingly romantic disc. She'd never heard it before and mentioned that "this is kinda nice".
That's high praise, folks.
We ended up by the river. I drove across the bridge “to look at the cheese hut at the top of the hill”, but they were also closed. I turned around but instead of taking the highway home, I pulled into the parking lot of the Inn at the top of the hill overlooking the river.
"What's this?", she asked.
A subset of 'changing it up' involves the element of surprise. This takes some preplanning and requires the ability to keep a secret, but if you can pull it off, there's nothing like it.
"Look in the bag behind my seat," I suggested. With a quizzical look, she pulled the bag forward and withdrew two soft terry bathrobes. The look on her face was guarded but curious. I escorted her a room on the second floor and pushed the door open, revealing a large glass vase with a dozen roses, baby's breath, and ferns.
Her face expressed surprise and delight, and I began to think that maybe this could work.
There's one thing you should know about creating memories - you never know which kind you are going to make. It's reassuring when it all goes according to plan.
Know your audience
She walked into the room and the next thing she noticed were the drinks.
Many couples celebrate with Champagne. I'd provided a bucket of ice and a six-pack of Dr. Pepper, her favorite.
Then she saw the King-size bed and blushed prettily. I thought she looked lovely.
And then it was time for 'The Speech'. I'd gone over this moment for days in my head, and my voice was steady as I said what was on my mind, what was in my heart:
"I know that women usually get jewelry for big anniversaries, and you certainly deserve that. However, I also know that you're not really a jewelry kinda girl, so I thought I'd give you something that you really would appreciate for our 20th anniversary together...
A memory."
Exceed expectations
She walked farther into the room and saw the hot tub.
The smile on her face was more than just happy--it was also just a little hungry.
I produced some bath salts, some lavender massage oil, and some thick white towels. There's no hurry at this point, and one thing that I've learned is to take my time and enjoy the moment.
Later, we donned the soft terry bathrobes and I revealed my next surprise.
I still remembered our first date. I'd taken her to see _Gremlins_. She'd sat through it gamely enough, but I could tell that she wasn't into such films when her fingers dug into my leg. I learned that she really responded to chick-flicks, so I produced two romantic comedies that she hadn't seen yet. We cuddled together in bed drinking ice-cold Dr. Peppers and watching _Wimbledon_, a tennis romantic comedy.
Afterward, her fingers conveyed a more appreciative disposition than they had so many years before. You'd expect a guy could learn a thing or two in 20 years, but it's still good to experience the fruits of one's labor.
A Strong Finish
We were still celebrating as we awoke the following morning, and then we showered, dressed, and went out to breakfast. She had to work at 10am, so we checked out and I (finally) took her home. The puppies were glad to see us and the kids were still asleep, so I made her a large DP and sent her off to the store.
Seeing that it was just a couple of days before Christmas, I ended up running into her at the store a couple of hours later. Despite a short night of sleep in a strange bed without the kids and puppies, and despite all the crazy shoppers and the lines of people and the short fuses, when I saw her there in the store, she was shining, actually glowing just like Rudulph’s famous nose.
When she saw me walk around the corner, she turned and walked right up to me and gave me a passionate kiss right there in the story in front of God and everybody, giving me an ear-to-ear smile and proving that there is more than one way to make a memory.
Epilogue
So there you have it, some of the elements used in the making of a memory.
It is no surprise that these elements also apply equally well for drafting stories, so here they are again:
- Set the stage
- Change it up
- Know your audience
- Exceed expectations
- A Strong Finish
These elements will serve you well whether you are creating stories or memories. Best wishes!