Empire Video

"How did you meet?" That seems like such a simple question to answer, but for Kelly and me, the answer isn't that straightforward. The short answer is that we met at a church youth group and worked at the same restaurant, and somehow through those two things became friends. We were friends through high school and college and then a little after. And then we weren't friends. Then we met again and within 10 months we were engaged to be married.

But tonight I was trying to think: "How did we become such good friends?" The answer, as I think it is with many friendships, is that I cannot pinpoint how it happened.

We did lots of different things together in those early years, but one recurring event was going to Empire Video (yes, the one on Glen! With the black and white stickers on the clear plastic cases!) to rent movies. Sometimes it was just the two of us, sometimes it was a bunch of us. But a trip to Empire Video was a whole night affair. We had to get to Empire Video, then wander the aisles to find a movie (and along the way discuss all the ridiculous titles we came across), then figure out food (with Kelly, this was a process often involving different stops), and then get to a house to watch the movie. And when we finally got there, we had to wait for the parents in question to finish the show they were watching because that is just how it was. (Looking back, I think the parents could have given two figs about the show, it was just a way for the parents to hang out a little bit with their elusive teenagers.) I think we watched the movie we selected the same night, but I can't figure out how we had time. I am starting to wonder if we had curfews...

As we wiled away those carefree evenings twenty plus years ago, I had no idea we were building the basis for our marriage.