Monday, February 14, 2011

Music is the food of love



There’s a magnet on my fridge that reads “If music be the food of love, play on.” My mother gave it to us when my DH and I moved into our house. It’s a pretty good description of our relationship.

I’ve told this story on my blog before, so forgive the repetition if you’ve already heard it. We met sixteen years ago. After a few years of not playing much guitar, I’d decided to take some lessons to get me motivated. I was working at Dalhousie University at the time, and one day I saw a notice on a bulletin board from a guitar instructor looking for students. I called the number, and the rest is history.

By the time my first lesson ended, I knew Everett was not only a fine musician but an excellent teacher – an uncommon combination. It took longer to make up my mind about him as a person. He’s quiet and reserved, not the kind of man you get to know right away. We talked mostly about music, nothing personal, but my lessons often seemed to run overtime.

I belonged to the Halifax Harbour Folk Society, and when it was my turn to act as host for the weekly coffeehouse session, Everett agreed to join me. That was a bear of a winter in Halifax, and when we left the pub it had started to snow. Hard. I insisted I’d be okay driving home, as it was only a few blocks. We said goodnight and got in our separate vehicles.

When I pulled into the parking lot of my apartment building, Everett’s headlights flashed in my mirror. I’d been so focussed on the road, I hadn’t noticed him following me. He bumped his horn and drove off.

I was impressed. He had a much longer drive home. We weren’t dating at the time, just beginning to become friends, but he’d gone out of the way to see that I got home safely. That was the night I began to wonder if he might be a keeper. When he stopped charging me for lessons, I knew he was thinking the same way.

We complement each other musically as well as we do in other ways. I can hear lyrics once and, if they affect me, I’ll remember them. Everett doesn’t remember lyrics, but he can lift the most complicated chords from a recording. He’s a true musician, while I’m really more of a poet who likes to sing. We also share an interest in science. Being a creative person, he understands when I glue myself to my laptop to write . He isn’t a fiction reader – technical manuals or science magazines are more his style – and he hasn’t read my books, but he supports me and gives me my space. We’re still playing on.

14 comments:

  1. What a nice story. He does sound like a keeper.

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  2. How sweet that he followed you home! I think a shared passion is always a good thing:) Have a wonderful Valentine's Day with your man!

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  3. You sound like you make a good team. On our first date my hubby played his guitar for me, and I was hooked. We've been married for 30 years! Music can indeed be the food of love--Shakespeare always knew. Linda

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  4. Anne, Victoria, Linda, thanks for stopping by! Yes, a shared interest is a great thing, and I think my guy is very sweet.

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  5. oh a beautiful love story. i so very much enjoyed it! your Everett sounds like a keeper. happy valentine's day to you both!

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  7. Sounds like a wonderful man! A keeper for sure, ha!

    Happy Valentine's,
    Jacalyn

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  8. He’d gone out of the way to see that I got home safely. That was the night I began to wonder if he might be a keeper.

    :-)

    Wonderful story, Jennie! And I LOVE the Victorian valentine you've posted today.

    (Made a goof on the previous comment...woopsie...)

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  9. Hello! I'm here from Karen's party, and your story, and your magnet, are awesome!!
    Happy Valentines Day!
    xxDaniella

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  10. Michelle, Julia, Jacalyn and Daniella, thanks for popping over! As a PS to my story, we discovered after a few months together that before coming to Halifax, Everett had taught guitar to a good friend of my brother's in Ottawa. Small world!

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  11. Sounds like you make sweet music together;) Beautiful love story!

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  12. I've always believed that when two people compliment each other, as opposed to being exactly alike, the relationship is always stronger. It sounds like you two compliment each other beautifully. Thanks for playing along!
    xo,
    Karen

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  13. Oh great love story, it so much like mine! Happy Valentine's Day!

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  14. What a coincidence - before J and I started seeing each other, when we were still just work friends, he drove me home from a party because I lost my cab money and he wanted to ensure I got home safe. That was the first night I thought 'oh dear...I'm in trooouuubbbllle...' :)

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