This is what life felt like for He and She when they met on the eve of March 7, 1987. He and She danced into the wee hours of the morning. She hoped he would call, as He had put her number in his data bank watch. So She waited, not so patiently.
He did not call.
Better than calling, He came into her work, the jewelry department of Service Merchandise. She remembers looking up, seeing him in his work attire, dress pants, dress shirt, skinny tie, blond hair, blue eyes, big smile. Hey, Julie. Hey, YOU! Do you want to go out to a movie with me on Tuesday night? UM YES! You beautiful beautiful boy. I will go absolutely anywhere with you, anywhere. Did I say anywhere? Yes, that IS what I was thinking. Ahhh, but really? Why is his name Carl, I mean he looks like a Steve, or a Dave, not a Carl. I mean, old men that look like leprecons are named Carl. He told me later he hated his name. I could have actually cared less what his name was.....LOL.
We went to the movie called "Manniquin". We tried watching it years later and we thought, that was possibly THE LAMEST movie of the '80's. I laughed all the way through the movie. WHY? I have no idea after trying to watch this lame movie. He remembers thinking, hmmmm, that laugh is "interesting", I don't know if I could listen to that for the rest of my life. Now, he tells me its one of things he loves the most about me, hearing me laugh.
We did what most couples do. We spent every waking moment we could together. All my friends had gone off to college in other states. I had taken a year off, and was working, ready to start at UMaine in the fall. Carl was a math education major at UMaine in Orono. He was vice president of the student body. I remember him telling me, I would have never introduced anyone else to Chris Boothby, but I want to bring you up to the office to meet him. I remember meeting Chris and thinking, wow, he's cute too!!! I began hanging out in the student government office, going to senate meetings, working, going to college as well. I lived in Knox Hall..ate in cafeteria. I loved the food. I loved Carl. Life was pretty good.
I met some really great friends in college. I am still friends with them to this day. Lynn Clark and Vicki Heath. Oh my goodness. I would flee to Lynn's room and she would make me tea. I was at a yard sale several summers ago and I saw an exact electric tea pot that Lynn used and I bought it. It works! I would also run to Vicki's place at University Park. She had twins and I just adored babies. I love these two women. They made dorm life bearable.
College is a time in your life that you question everything. Carl made me question everything. He was the first person I had ever spent time with that didn't really believe everything I spewed forth with all my Sunday School answers. He would say "Do you REALLY believe that?" or "Why do you believe that?" Never occurred to me until that point I needed a good answer other than well, because that's what I've always been taught and everyone I have hung out with thinks this way.... hahaha small bubble got burst in a hurry. Carl brought so much into my life. He opened my eyes. He opened my heart. He showed me a different world. He's always played devils advocate, he really should have been a lawyer. He loves math, but he can make a case for ANYTHING, and oppose or support ANYTHING, and you really don't know what he's really thinking. I still don't sometimes, and I've been with him 30 years. I used to get worried or think I had to change his mind, but now what I realize is there is room for so many more thoughts, feelings, realizations, rationalizations, beliefs, than I ever thought possible.
Carl Joseph Robbins....he changed my life like no one else could.
All for the better, in my opinion.
Love to you all, But most of all to Carl.
Julie Erb Robbins
She is still trying to figure life out, but oh so happy doing it with this guy.
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