College sweethearts1I smile at my two lovely daughters and they seem so much more mature than we, their parents, when we were college sweethearts.Linda, whos 21, had a boyfriend in her freshman year she thought she would marry, but theyre not together anymore.Melissa, whos 19, hasnt had a steady boyfriend yet.My daughters wonder when they will meet The One, their great love.They think their father and I had aclassicfairy-taleromanceheading for marriage from the outset.Perhaps, theyre right but it didnt seem so at the time.In a way, love just happens when you least expect it.Who would have thought thatButchand I would end up getting married to each other?He became my boyfriend because of my shallow agenda: I wanted acuteboyfriend!2We met through my college roommate at the university cafeteria.That fateful night, I was merely curious, but for him I think it was love at first sight.You have beautiful eyes, he said as hegazedat my face.He kept staring at me all night long.I really wasnt that interested for two reasons.First, he looked like he was a really wild boy, maybe even dangerous.Second, although he was very cute, he seemed a littleweird.3Riding on his bicycle, hed ride past my dorm as if by accident and pretend to be surprised to see me.I liked the attention but wascautiousabout his wild,dynamicpersonality.He had a charming way with words which wouldcharmany girl.Fear came over me when I started to fall in love.His exciting bad boy image was just tootemptingto resist.What was it that attracted me?I always had an excellentreputation.My concentration was solely on my studies to getsuperiorgrades.But for what?College is supposed to be a time of great learning and also some fun.I had nearly achieved a great education, and graduation was just onesemesteraway.But I hadnt had any fun; my life wasstalewith nocomponentof fun!I needed a boyfriend.Not just any boyfriend.He had to be cute.My goal that semester became: Beambitiousand grab the cutest boyfriend I can find.4I worried what hed think of me.True, we lived in a time when a dramatic shift insexualattitudes was taking place, but I was a traditional girl who wasnt ready for the new ways that seemed common on campus.Butch lookedsuperb!I was notimmuneto his personality, but I was scared.The night when he announced to the world that I was his girlfriend, I went along with him.And then I suddenly thought: Oh my gosh! Am I his girlfriend? How did that happen?Then he whispered sweet words in my ear and said, Im going to marry you one day and I will be a lawyer. You will see.5I was laughing inside and said to myself, Id never marry this guy. Hes a rebel without a good future. Hes my boyfriend because I hate my boring student life. I just want to have fun.6Sure enough, the following month, I found out he had failed all his courses.Consequently, he was going to be expelled from the university.To mydisgust, he seemed resigned to his fate.I knew there was hope, so I led him to the college secretary for reconsideration.7You are going to graduate with a BA in political science fromUPennandproceedto the College of Law, I told him,lodgingan appeal on hisbehalf, which wasapproved.Butch wasgrantedreconsideration.And, once we became steadies, hecoordinatedhis studies and social life, passing all of his classes.He eventually studied law.8Despite Butchs somewhat wild character, at hiscore, he is always a perfect gentleman anddeservesa lot of credit for that.True, hed sometimes take thelibertyofdisplayinghis love by planting a kiss on my lips right in front of my astonished friends who watched anddisapproved.But the truth is we had a pure and responsible relationship for seven full years.Sitting by thepalmtrees, hand in hand, we would listen to romantic songs, watch the sunset, andweavedreams of being together with children of our own, forever.9Two years passed in ablur.One day, Butch took me by surprise as hekneltdown andproposedmarriage holding a dozen red roses!Filled with deep emotion, Iconfessedmy love for him, How roooomaaaantic!Then my brain woke up from fantasy land.I cried out, Good heavens. No! Were too young to tie theknot. We havent even graduated from college yet!I really loved him but waspessimisticabout our chances for success.10We married five years later.11Ourfaithfuljourney of love and learning took us down rocky roads of hardship and on smooth easy-going highways.It is a long, romantic, sometimes crazy, love story that sums up a 29-year longhoneymoontogether as a couple who are still madly in love with each other.Our lovecommencedwith a casual attraction butbloomedinto a mature love and rich life.2