PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

In 1961 I met a beautiful young man serving in the army at Fort Bliss, TX. He was one of the kindest, gentlest, loving person I had yet to meet. We loved to ride to the top of a hill in El Paso and just sit and look at the lights of that city and also were able to see into Mexico. In the day time, you could see all of the Texas city and the dirt roads of the city of Jurez.

We spent six weeks enjoying the South West together, and I fell in love with Texas and with him. We went into Mexico and had dinner at a very nice restaurant known for it's wonderful, and cheap steaks. We shopped at the market stalls and he bargined with the shop owner for a painting of a matadore. It was in black, white and grey...a perfect match for my apartment back home in Ohio.

I was spending the six weeks in Texas with my brother and his wife and daughter, just a baby. We played cards with them, or at least I tried, I was never good at that game. I had a small child of my own who was three years old at that time . I was waiting for my divorce, in Ohio to be final and Ohio law does not allow the two divorcing to reside under the same roof. He was in the apartment...I had to leave, and am I ever glad that I did or I would never had known this beautiful person. When grew moody thinking of having to leave him and maybe never seeing him again...he would say "A penny for your thoughts". Then I would come back to reality...him.

Time passed all to quickly and it was time for my return trip back to a life I hated and away from one I dearly longed for. He took me to the train station and we clung to each other, in desperation and I cried so hard I could hardly breathe. When I steped off the platform and on to the train I thought my heart would surely break. How could I do this? How could I leave a love like this? I had no choice...he had an obligation to the service...I had to appear in court shortly after returning home. I wrote him letter after letter and the conductor mailed them at every stop. It was almost 3 days of agony, I cried all the way home.

My divorce was finalized, and I was free...but free for what? He called me a few times. I'd pick up the receivor and hear his voice say "Peanut" and I was in heaven again. That was the nick-name he gave me...because he was so tall and I was barely five foot. Then the phone calls stopped, and the letters stopped...and life just went on.

It is now 2013 and I have never forgotten the Summer Love that happened 52 years ago. I'm a widdow now and am 75 years old. My children have children of their own and life is pretty general. Except for the fact that I Gogled the young mans name,who would be 75 also, and instead of finding him...I found his obituary. He lived with all of you in Mountain Home, raised two children and left a wife who must have been devistated at his loss. He was very active in your comunity and I'm sure had a wonderful family who loved him dearly, as I had at one time in my life. I'm also he left many good friends who saw his charater and honesty as I did. After all, he did say "Idoho is right up there with peanut butter".