It's Our Turn: How did you meet? Well, there was this guy with an axe...

Talk about it

This time of year, all things lovey-dovey take center stage – Do you have a unique story to share about how you met your significant other?

Was it love at first sight?

Is it a funny story of opposites attracting?

Does it involve a nearly-naked guy throwing an axe at your vehicle?

Here’s a love story that’s so memorable, you just couldn’t make it up:

My parents have been married nearly 40 years and if it wasn’t for that nearly-naked guy throwing an axe at a passing car, my folks may not have met.

In the summer of 1972, my mom and her sister were riding with a guy in his souped-up muscle car – a mint 1969 Dodge Charger to be exact.

With windows down and the stereo blaring, they were high-tailing it down a county road near Dayton when suddenly, a nearly naked guy, wearing only underwear, ran up out of the ditch wielding a long-handled axe, which he threw at the car they were in.

Thunk!

The axe sunk into the trunk of the car and stuck there like an arrow in a target.

Most people might keep on driving in the opposite direction of a nearly naked axe wielding fella, but that’s not the case here. My mom’s friend skidded to a stop, backed up, got out of the car and started fighting with the nearly naked guy.

My mom and my aunt scurried out of the car and started running down the road, away from the whole crazy situation.

By this time, someone had called the cops.

Trying to play it cool, my mom and aunt would stop running when a vehicle approached and they walked nonchalantly along the side of the road. You know, two young women just out for a walk looking at wildflowers.

A short time later, a squad car pulled up behind them and the officer asked if they knew anything about the altercation down the road.

My mom tried to play it cool and as she and my aunt piled into the back of the squad car, she whispered to her sister, “Shut up. I’ll do all the talking.”

My mom, trying to play it cool, then proceeded to blubber a bit and tell the officer everything.

So much for playing it cool, Mom.

After they were taken back to the scene to identify the guy who threw the axe – the only guy standing there in his underwear – the officer offered to give my mom and aunt a ride back to town.

When they returned to my mom’s apartment, he opened the back seat squad door, cautioning them to watch their head when they got out.

Bang!

Just as he offered the words of warning, my mom smacked her head so hard she saw stars.

She said she literally saw stars the day she met my dad and she knew it was love.

Fast forward six months and my mom married that police officer – my dad.

So here’s the rest of the story: the nearly-naked guy was home on a pass from the nearby state hospital. He was returned to his mom’s care.

My mom’s friend nursed a fragile ego; all distraught over that wicked gash in his sweet car.

My dad cruised by my mom’s apartment several times and worked up the courage to call her and ask her out. She said yes.

Forty years later they’re still an item with two daughters all grown up, two successful careers retired and one heck of a “how did you meet” story.

So, how did you meet?

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“It’s Our Turn” is a weekly column that rotates among members of the Echo Press editorial staff.

Tags: opinion, columns