Forty Wonderful Years of Memories

As we hurried from the airport in the small car it was late. I was driving. We were all talking at the same time. It was so much fun to be together again. We had not a care in the world at that moment. We were headed to my parents place to drop off some things before a fun time together. “Tomorrow” was to be more important than any day we had ever faced. “Tomorrow” everything would change for all of us.

It was at the giggling mode, or the talking at the same time mode… I actually am not too sure of exactly what was happening when I noticed the blinking lights behind us. Go figure – I have done something wrong in driving – not paying close enough attention to what I should be doing. The blinking lights were actually flashing left right red lights… it was a police car pulling me over. “Not now….I don’t need this now!” was my first thought.

In the car with me were my two closest friends. One was “Gord” the other was “Jonesy”. Both had joking comments about me being pulled over.

The odd thing was that I knew the officer that approached our car. He had given me a ticket long ago after a car accident where my car had slid through a slipper intersection on an icy day. His name was “Whistling Willie” – a well known Cop in our city.

He asked me if I knew what I had done wrong. “No.” was my reply. His comment then was to point out to me that I had turned right on a ‘red light’ – and that it was illegal to do that.

My defense was that I now lived in Quebec and that you are able to turn right on a ‘red lights’ in Quebec. I was terribly sorry and I apologized. He asked me if I had been drinking. The other two in the car were giggling at my misfortune. My answer was, “No sir, I am getting married tomorrow and I guess I wasn’t paying attention well enough.”

Whistling Willie’s final instruction was our first wedding present, “Alright, I am going to let you go without a ticket. You have to slow down in Regina and there are no ‘right turns on red lights’ in this province.”

Regina’s laws and regulations have changed to match all the other cities in Canada now. That short account happened 40 years ago – last night.

40 years ago last night we were very young and very excited as we looked at the big day – the most important tomorrow that I have ever had in my life.

“Gord” was my best man, a guy that was my close friend all through High School and into University. The two of us had done everything together – until I had met “Jonesy”. “Jonesy” had more than replaced “Gord”. She had been in my life almost every second for the last five years. In fact on that September 8, 1967 we had been dating for over five years. Now with our schooling and careers set we were ready to get married.

Most of you know “Jonesy” as Alida now. Four people know her as “Mom”. Six little people know her as “Grandma”. She was “Jonesy” all those years because “Jones” was her last name. When I started calling her that I had not idea that I would marry her and by doing so – change that name. “Lincolnsy” DID NOT MAKE ANY SENSE after September 9, 1967 – neither did “Jonesy”. From September 9, 1967, 10:30 AM – on – I have known her as my best friend…beautiful wife…my lover…the most special person in my life in everyway.

It seems like it all happened just yesterday. But that is not quite true. There have now been 14,600 yesterdays. And with the yesterdays there has been 14,600 wonderful days of memories – filled with everything we could fill it with. Today will offer another opportunity together. I can’t wait for all that it has as promises for us.

The other day…
The other day I was relating to someone all the places that we had lived. Our marriage has been filled with many years of doing stuff together. I hope you can follow this list.

We were married at 10:30 AM on September 9, 1967. At 1:00 PM we were on an Air Canada Jet to Montreal, Quebec. That first evening we spent in our new apartment in Trois Rivieres, Que. We honeymooned in a tent all around the Maritimes – Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. Four months later we moved to Fredericton, New Brunswick. In the next year we moved to Oakville, Ontario. After 5 years we moved to Walkerton, Ontario. Three years later we moved back to Oakville, Ontario. Following three more years in this little city we jumped across the Pacific Ocean to Hong Kong to then spend 5 of the most fantastic years ever. It was then at 1985 that we moved back to Canada – and Oakville again. After 13 months we moved to Scarborough, Ontario. Then following 5 years we moved to Yorkton, Saskatchewan. After 3 years in that delightful city we moved on to Regina, our home city, returning after 27 years of being away. THEN FINALLY – in 1998 Alida and I packed up one more time – and unpacked in the home we now live in – actually on September 9, 1998.

The previous paragraph made me tired just writing it. Wow! What a wonderful life it has been.

This wondering down a “memory lane” experience is good for old men too. I seem to be doing it more lately.

Thank you, Alida, for being with me all these wonderful years. Thank you to all of our family that followed us through thick and thin. Thank you to our many thousands of friends in so many special places that we called home. Thank you to my Uncle, the Rev. Ben Kirkpatrick, that married us 40 years ago this morning.

I kept all the promises I made Ben – for forty wonderful years – so did Alida. Ben, this has been the best wedding ceremony that you have ever conducted. I testify to that fact.

Shish – I have got to stop this – I have huge lump in my throat. I have to go celebrate again.

~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~
Married and Loving it…