50 years of Living the Dream

June 12, 2026

It was a warm and sunny day when Joe and I jumped into his Dad's car. We weren't going far, just a couple of miles down the road. The car was a beauty. It was white with a Black vinyl top. Back in those days, the Mopars were as long as a limo and had plenty of horsepower. This was the perfect car for the day.

But on this day, our limo had other plans. We pulled onto Telegraph Road and got as far as the 270 overpass when the Plymouth died. There we were, two guys in tuxedos on the overpass with our thumbs out, sweating and beating feet to our destination two miles down the road.

She was already there. Back then, we didn't have cell phones. There were pay phones, but the closest one was probably more than a mile away. With less than one hour to go. What would happen if I didn’t show up on time? Would she think I changed my mind? Would this be the end of what was supposed to be the beginning?

The looks we got! The horns that honked, and finally the good Samaritan who stopped, turned around, and picked us up. She said she drove by the church and saw that something was going on. She thought maybe we needed to be there! Boy, was she right! I'm the groom, and this is my best man.

Good news, we made it, perhaps a little sweaty, but with a few minutes to spare. The church was packed, and Father Herman met me at the door. I don’t know who was happier to see each other, him or me. He was a kind, soft-spoken priest with whom Carol and I had a good connection as we went through pre-Cana marriage preparation.

The wedding was a morning affair with a reception scheduled for later that evening. Joe's dad let us use his car to be our limo for the day. Joe’s dad was the perfect example of the all-American dad. He retrieved the car and got it back on the road. He had it there by the end of the ceremony.

We were young, independent, and driven. We saved our money and paid for our wedding, with the exception of the catering. Carol’s parents paid for that. We wanted the American Dream and had decided to pursue that dream together.

Carol's brother brought my car to the reception hall so we would have a quick getaway later that night. We learned that day, you shouldn't park your car near the newspaper collection bin at the church. Some joker or jokers stuffed my car full with newspaper! Fortunately, Carol’s brother removed said newspapers before we were ready to leave. They also threw my driver's side headrest out with the newspapers.

No running off for an exotic honeymoon, just back to our apartment and ready for work on Monday. After all, there was the American dream to pursue.

I'm not sure if we truly knew what the American dream was all about when we got started 50 years ago, but I know what it means today. I cannot even begin to count how many life lessons we’ve learned along the way.

From raising babies, teenagers, and experiencing the joys of grandkids, we have navigated this path down life's highway.

Today is also a warm Sunny Day. No tux, no breakdowns, and No hitchiking! While not technically a honeymoon, it feels like one as we spend time at our favorite home away from home on the beach, half a century later! A lot has changed in our 50 years together. We are within reach of one another just by pressing a button on our phones, and can even see exactly where each other is on a map. Our thoughts are telepathically transmitted between one another before either one of us speaks a word.

Some today would say the American dream is out of reach. I would say to those, “You haven’t tried hard enough.” I was lucky I found the right one who shared the same dream, and I made it to the church on time! Here we are living the dream.