Head
Over Heels
How
Kathy and Chris Cole of Lakeshore fell in love (as told by Elaine
Weeks)
Also
in the Love Lines Series:
Kathy's Version
I remember the day I first met Chris. I knew him from
school, where I was two years ahead, but one year older. He was
over at a neighbour's house where I wanted to borrow some sugar.
I was reluctant to go. Not only was I thinking about the age difference,
I was a bit shy. I thought I would go to the store instead, but
I went to the neighbour's anyway.
We
dated a bit after that, but nothing really serious for a while.
I had three brothers who were all younger, and I was fed up with
their farting, belching, and the fact that they didn’t look
after themselves. Even though I didn’t think Chris was like
that, let’s just say that I wasn’t exactly enamoured
with the gender.
I
went to a different school for grade 13. I decided to invite Chris
to be my escort for my graduation, since I figured no one from
my new school would know he was younger than I. He'd just returned
from a week in the bush and had a full beard even though he was
only in grade 11. He had just gotten out of the shower when I
called to invite him. He said yes really quickly.
What
are you doing with a 26-year-old man? said friends when they saw
us at the graduation.
We’ve
been together ever since. Chris is sweet, awesome, and wants me
to be the best person I can be. My mom used to call us the Mutual Admiration Society. She has
some videos of us together that are almost enough to make me gag
now!
We
have three wonderful kids, Kevin 13, Conrad, 11 and Cory, 9. Chris
shaved off his beard because the boys didn’t like it. It
was too prickly. He gets more hugs and kisses from them that way.
My
advice for those looking for love is to follow your heart,
go after your dream – don’t listen to your head. Chris
was my dream.
Chris's Version
It
was the summer of grade 8. I was at a friend's house - my dad
was principal at his school. A lovely young lady knocked on the
door. She was blonde, had a beautiful smile, beautiful brown eyes,
and was very nervous. I managed to make some eye contact with
her.
Every
time after that when I went to that friend’s house, I hoped
she would be there.
My
next recollection of her was in grade 9 at "Hep Day."
There were different speakers in the gym - she and I were
sitting beside each other and we started talking. It was the best
discussion I'd ever had - wonderful, argumentative, flirtatious
and fun. After that, at lunch hour, we’d hang around the
trampoline and talk.
Next
thing I knew, she kept trying to avoid me. I think it was partly
because I was in grade 9, she was in grade 11 and my dad was the
principal. I'd see her in hallway - there would be no one else
there but us. She'd come halfway way down, act like she forgot
something, then whip around and go back the other way. One time while I was having a drink at the fountain, I noticed
some blond hair whipping around the corner. Thinking it was her,
I quickly looked around the corner but there was no one there.
Then
one day, we were at some church do playing basketball - I asked
her to go out with me. I got my first kiss from her that night
on the side of the highway.
The
next Monday at school, I was so anxious to see her but she wasn't
there - she was sick. And when she returned to school it was back
to same old routine.
I
finally cornered her and asked her what was going on, were we
going out or not? No, she said.
I
was heart broken but life goes on.
A
while later, after spending 10-11 days in the bush in Algonquin
park, I had just returned home. I had my pj's on at 4 pm. The
phone rang: Kathy asking me to be her escort to her grad dinner.
Hot damn! I said yes right away, but after I got off the phone,
I thought I should have played "hard to get."
We
went out to dinner and had a really good time. We started dating
right after that, but then she was off to college in Barrie. She
asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I told her a doctor
and she said, 'A doctor! I'll never see you!' She wanted whomever
she married to be around and committed to the family; money wasn't
important.
Two
years later, we decided to get married. I hadn't entered medical
school yet. My parents were really concerned about my age. (I
would be just turning 20 when I got married.) They felt that young
marriages were doomed to failure. Her dad gave me the half-hour
hot seat to make sure we were going to be financially independent
We
got married May 3, 1980, three years after the grad dinner (held
May 23).
Kathy's
been my biggest supporter. When I wanted to get into the hair
transplant thing, she said, go for it despite the expense.
I
feel that we were definitely meant to meet in this life or in
another one.
My
advice to people looking for love is, especially if it's young
love, there may be more bumps and hurdles than usual but you will
tend to grow together and it can be a wonderful thing. You need
to make a commitment to each other.
Also
in the Love Lines Series:
