My entire life and future happiness seemed to end that fateful day when I could not tie my lovely Bobbie’s shoe! But this is the rest of the story.

My first grade at Allen Center school finally ended. I had learned to tie by then but it was too late. I never got a chance to demonstrate my new skill to Bobbie. In fact she never talked to me again the entire school year. By the time second grade started we had moved away from Allen Center and I went to a school in another town, never to see Bobbie again. Well, so I thought!

When 3rd grade came my family had moved yet again. This time I started school in Marysville. We lived across the street from a girl named Jane. She was in my class and destined to play a role in the story of my lost love.

Today Jane is my most precious friend other than Jan. We trade emails a couple time a week. After I presented “my first love” story to the writers’ group I shared it with her. It turns out Jane knows Bobbie Jones, now Bobbie Beber! When she read my story she was in the process of organizing a luncheon for our high school classmates which Jan and I were planning to attend. Bobbie did not graduate with us but I have since learned she is friends with several of our classmates. Jane, now knowing my secret, invited her to come to the luncheon, and she did.

So Bobbie and I met again after more than 70 years. She is still as beautiful as I remembered. Her hair is mostly gray now. She walks with a cane. But her angelic eyes still sparkle and she has an absolutely radiant smile. I had an opportunity for a short one on one visit with her that day and she actually seemed to enjoy talking to me. She was surprised to discover that we had been in first grade together at Allen Center. I guess that probably means she did not remember me quite the way I did her! I did not think it a good idea to tell her about once being in love with her either. Her husband was there, he is twice my size, and Jane says he is well know as a brawler.

Jan picked up on the most significant feature of Bobbie’s current character though. She was wearing velcro strapped shoes. I can only assume she never did learn how to tie. Just think what an impact I might have had on her life if only I had known how way back then and could have taught her.