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Carole and Bob Jones MEREDITH & ROBERTA MITCHELL
BOB & CAROLE JONES I’D PROBABLY NEVER SEE HER AGAIN
SMALL WORLD
It was 1990 in the Los Angeles
On a snowy, windy Chicago morning, a young area. I’d divorced 16 years prior,
nurse was walking to the bus stop from and I thought I’d be alone for the
Roseland Hospital. I didn’t know her, but I stopped rest of my life. I was okay with
and offered her a ride (a ride had to be better than that. I’d already turned down
stomping through snow). As it turned out, I did a set-up from an acquaintance
know her – I had worked for her dad at a YMCA twice before finally accepting an
camp in Muskegon, Michigan. A week or so later invitation to the ballet. On Dec.
I called her for a date. Unfortunately, she was 28 the acquaintance, my date
engaged, but offered to set me up with one of her – Roberta – and I went to see
classmates. She named a couple, and I picked one The Nutcracker Suite. Roberta
based on her home address and how far I would was living in New York at the
have to drive. I don’t remember where Carole and time, but she explained that she
I went on that blind first date, but we learned that was going to be moving to Los Roberta and Meredith Mitchell
we had gone to the same church and at one time in Angeles with her employer, the
our lives we lived within a block of each other. Small Joffrey Ballet. I left thinking she was a bit of a snob and that I’d probably
world. Some 18 months later we were married. We never see her again. A couple days passed, and as Dec. 31 approached I
celebrated our 50th anniversary this past June and realized that everyone attending my annual New Year’s Eve party would
have never been happier! be coupled. I thought I would express my gratitude for the ballet by inviting
Roberta to the gathering. She enthusiastically accepted. During a game of
Jeanette and Patrick McCaslin charades at the party, I noticed how brilliant, exciting and beautiful Roberta
was whenever she was up. After Roberta moved to Los Angeles we spent
ONLINE: SCTEXAS.ORG much time together. We ultimately realized we didn’t want to live without
each other and married in February 1993. Our years together have been the
very best years of our lives. About three years ago, Roberta began suffering
from CLL and Lewy Body Dementia, which has been increasingly growing
in severity. We don’t have the same closeness recently as we had before, and
she now lives in a memory care unit of an assisted living facility. My love
for her, however, has not flagged one iota. Her beautiful soul is clear to me
through all her delusions and hallucinations.
PATRICK & JEANETTE MCCASLIN
HOW ABOUT NEXT WEEK?
In 1964, I was attending Air Force flight training
in Waco, Texas when my roommate told me his date
had a girlfriend who was gorgeous. When I had him
ask her to get me a date, I learned she was dating a
friend with whom I’d gone to high school and college.
“If she’s that good looking,” I said, “the heck with
him.” We arranged for a blind date but on the day
of, she cancelled, saying her sister and friends were
giving her a birthday party. My mind said forget her
but my mouth said, “How about next week?” She
agreed, and when she opened the door a week later
I was face to face with the most beautiful girl I had
ever seen. I don’t remember much about the movie
we went to see because I kept looking over at her
and wondering what a girl that beautiful was doing
sitting next to me. Six months later she shocked me
again by becoming my bride. Fifty two years later,
she is still the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.
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