Betty, the love of my life
Betty and I have been married for over 50 years. She is everything I could ever have dreamed of in a wife. Today I share our story again.
Betty Ferguson was running for Freshman Class President at Shorter College, Rome, Georgia, in the fall of 1972. She passed out literature asking for each person’s vote. She had stuck a small piece of candy like a chocolate kiss or a small candy bar on each piece of campaign literature.
That is my first memory of her. I didn’t know her, but joked that buying my vote would cost more than a tiny piece of candy. She was shy, smiled, and moved on to the next person. She didn’t become class president, and little did I know she would become so much more to me.
The next time I remember seeing her, she was sitting on the curb in blue bell-bottomed jeans, long black hair, and moccasins. She looked kind of like a hippy. I greeted her, and she ignored me. I had been working on someone’s car and was shirtless and greasy. It was relatively cold outside, but I didn’t want to mess up my clothes as I worked on the vehicle.
She later dated one of my best friends. She was pretty, quiet, sweet, and kind. I liked her.
A bunch of us went out on a date in her boyfriend’s car to get pizza. It was my first time having seen, heard of, or experienced pizza. I had eaten little you couldn’t grow on the farm. I was nervous but found that pepperoni pizza was pretty good. I picked up the check for everyone.
As we returned to campus, our friend let everyone out of the car. It was packed with like eight or more of us. My friend’s car was a 1947 black two-door Plymouth. It was the “cool car on campus”. Everyone got out of the car but Betty.
I saw my chance. I jumped in the driver’s seat and took off with my friend’s car and his girl. Betty didn’t think it was funny at all.
After my friend quit dating her, I decided to ask her out. I was afraid she would say no, so I got a friend to take a girl, and we could double date. My friend was “cool.” I was anything but “cool.” I was a “country red neck” at best.
We had plans to go to underground Atlanta, but something happened, and we only made it from Rome to Cartersville, where we watched Barbara Streisand’s movie “What’s Up Doc” and got a bite to eat. Betty said she would go with all of us. I didn’t know for a long time that she only went because she was more interested in the other guy and wanted to get to know him better.
Betty was pretty cold towards me. There was to be no hand holding, an arm around her shoulders, and definitely no goodnight kiss. She certainly wasn’t about to kiss me. The date and night seemed to be a terrible waste and loss.
I admit I wasn’t strictly acting like a spiritual giant.
I knew one thing. I liked Betty and wanted to see her again, but Christmas break came, and I returned home to Tennessee and the farm. She returned to Roswell, Georgia, and her lovely suburban house.
Here are a couple of lessons to consider.
You never know when you are going to meet your mate for life. Be careful how you act and treat the opposite sex.
God will guide you to someone who will become the love of your life if you seek Him and His kingdom with all your heart.
Be careful to keep pure sexually and in your mind. You live in a world that is driven by rebellious sex. It is a crime against God and both of you.