Almost 53 Years of Wedded Bliss

Sharon and Brent Gill

This beautiful lady was all of 14 years old when we first met.  I was 16, a Junior, and in the band at Porterville High.  Sharon was an incoming freshman.  She played flute, and I played Bass Clarinet.  That put my seat in the inside row, closest to the director,

The inside row (starting on the conductor's left) contained the 4 First Clarinets, and 2 Bass Clarinets. The rest of that row reserved for flute players.  At the time, I was dating the young lady furthest from my seat, the First Flute.

On the first day of Summer Band 1960, I was quite taken by a new girl with a flute case under her arm. She pranced into the band room, and spoke to the band director.  In my evaluation, she was what could only be termed a "fox." He waved her to the seat beside me, which didn't hurt my feelings at all.

As soon as she sat down, I turned to her. "Hi. I have a bet with my friend over here," I waved toward the other Bass Clarinet player, "that I can find out your name and how old you are before he can."

Guileless, she told me she was Sharon Ryan and she was 14 years old. Then she smiled that smile that still makes my heart flutter.

I turned to my friend, and said in a loud voice, "See, I told ya."

To which he looked most puzzled at me, saying only, "Huh? Whatcha talking' about?"

The First Flute and I broke up in October sometime, I dated a couple of other girls over the middle of the winter, and by March was dating the new flute player.

Before this Blog Challenge ends, we will celebrate our 53rd anniversary.  We have 3 amazing boys, 3 delightful daughters-in-law, and 8 grandchildren.