Looking for a Friend and Found a Soul Mate

My all-time favorite picture of Stacey.
(She's going to kill me when she sees Ihave posted this.)

Today is my wedding anniversary. Actually it's one of two. We had previously been married by the JP on August 24, 1999. May 28th marks the day Stacey and I were married in the Roman Catholic Church and she was fully received into the Church, thus also marking the anniversary of her First Communion and Confirmation.

I thought I would commemorate this day by writing about how we met.

The Back Story and Schindler's List

I am notorious for telling long stories, but this one is not complete without a brief (I promise to keep it short) back story. Back in 1994 I was still working as stock broker and living in Las Colinas, a sizable development in Irving, Texas where many corporations house their headquarters. It's also home to the Byron Nelson Classic which is taking place this weekend. One evening I got the whim to go by myself to see Schindler's List.  As I was leaving the theater - wiping tears from my face and hoping none of my buddies were there to see me - I ran into two friends (Peter and Yvette) I had worked with while I was still in law school. They convinced me to stay and watch another movie (Reality Bites) with them and catch up afterwards.

The Set Up and the Mavericks
Peter and Yvette, who I had introduced to each other, had been married for a few years now and lived in a condo near me. We rekindled our friendship and I began calling Peter on a regular basis with the hope of eventually pitching him on a stock pick or two. I never got to pitch him on the stock because I was too busy flirting with his secretary, Stacey, on the phone. Mind you we had never met. but she convinced Peter to use the firm's Mavericks' tickets to invite me to a game to join them.

The Introduction and the Shoes
I met the three of them at Peter and Yvette's place. Upon meeting Stacey in person I complimented her on her shoes. I thought I was being nice. Little did I know that Stacey interpreted this as an indicator I was gay. In fact, she told her best friend at work the next day that she had a great time but wasn't sure I was playing for the right team. Stacey loves telling this part of the story to all her friends and always gets a laugh.

The Wrap Up
This is how we met. We've been together ever since. We've endured some tough times over the years, but our relationship has deepened since we married sacramentally. We've shared some tears, but mostly we have shared a ton of laughs. Stacey has always balanced me. She has helped me learn to laugh at myself a little more and not take life so seriously all the time. When I met her, I told her I wasn't looking for a relationship, I just wanted to be friends.  I got that friend and more.  I got a soul mate.

Is It Right To Rejoice At The Death Of An Evil Man?

Picture I took at "ground zero" May 2004

I thought I was going to write about my first night at Weight Watchers, but I think that'll have to wait until tomorrow. In light of last night's news that Bin Laden had been killed, I feel compelled to write about the reaction to his death. 

I was getting ready for bed when the NY Times alert on my iPad went off. The pop up on the screen said that White House was about to announce that Bin Laden had been killed. When I told my wife, she thought I was lying. I guess she felt like many of us have in the 9 1/2 years since 9-11 - that he would never be caught.

I will admit that upon first hearing the news, I felt that justice had been served. That soon passed, replaced with disbelief at how jubilant people were about Bin Laden's death.  At some core level I feel those reactions are incongruent with my Catholic faith.  In fact, the Vatican today issued a statement: “Faced with the death of a man, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibility of each and every one of us before God and before man, and hopes and commits himself so that no event is an opportunity for further growth of hatred, but for peace.”

Not only am I troubled that these demonstrations some how undermine our faith, but I am also concerned that these images broadcast throughout the world put Christians in harm's way.  I believe it will be a matter of time - sooner than later - that there is retaliation.  It makes me ponder Gandhi's words: "Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary."