I was never a good marriage prospect, if by that we mean a nine-to-fiver who works a regular job and watches football on Sundays. I was born to wander the globe. That sounds romantic and exciting, but ask three ex-wives about what it’s really like when I’m off to wars, exploring the Amazon, dogsledding the Arctic, sailing the Atlantic, competing in rodeos, photographing elephants in Africa, setting world flight records…
I finally determined never to get wed again. I had girlfriends, some of them desperate to move in with me. One young lady actually climbed balconies to the second floor to get into my apartment when I broke it off with her. Another spread the word that I would marry her. But every time the hex phrase “marriage” came up—I was outa there like a cat scalded by water.
One Christmas week an old friend I call “D” invited me to attend a Christmas dance party with a group to which he belonged. Present at the party was a tiny, gorgeous blonde.
“I’m going to hustle the blonde,” I confided in “D.”
I put my best boot forward to impress her, managing to make a date with her. Later, I learned of her opinion: “He sure is interesting—but he can’t dance!”
Donna Sue and I have been married 24 years now. She knew what she was getting when she married me. And accepted me for who I was born to be—a writer and adventurer. A successful business woman herself, she has accompanied me to the running of the bulls in Spain, riding camels across Egypt, to Alaska, and the Caribbean, to Israel and other places… Best traveling companion and partner I’ve ever had. And the prettiest.
I suppose it didn’t matter too much to her that I can’t dance.
Charles W. Sasser is author of over 60 published books and thousands of magazine articles and short stories. His latest book, Crushing the Collective, a historical look at the collapse of civilizations internally, including our own, is available at bookstores, Amazon, and BarnesandNoble.com
Hey Chuck,
Donna Sue must have pretty tough toes too if you were dancing in your cowboy boots. LOL Must have been true love for sure. Wishing y’all a very happy Thanksgiving.
—Jim
Morning, Jim. Thank you–and a Happy Turkey Day to you as well, old friend. chuck sasser
I want to say that he did not hustle me that night. He did not get my phone number either. He asked how he could get a date if I didn’t give hm my phone number.
He already knew my name and where I lived because he had been a homicide detective in Tulsa and had his ways.
I told him to use his ways to get my phone number then.I had heard a lot of men tell stories and I did’t know if Chuck’s was another one. My son checked him out and told me was legit. So now you know the rest of the story.
I will also say that he proved he was not the typical man or date. Our first date was squirrel hunting. My dad and grandfather was a commercial hunter and fisherman so I was raised around guns and fishing lines and eating wild game and fish.
Great article as usual. I never learned to dance myself. The girl I was dating, a top ten contestant in the Miss Oklahoma pageant, was attending a party and dance after the pageant and I sort crashed the party to congratulate her only to learn that a group of fraternity boys were invited to “escort” the girls. I found her at a table with her escort and other couples. She did introduce me as her boyfriend just as the were all getting up to move over to the dance floor to dance. I was left at the tale watching them and for just a moment I wished I could dance. My face must have signaled my feelings as I caught the attention of the guy she was with. I mouthed the words “I’m gonna break your arm’. His expression changed to ‘alarm’ mode and he immediately scrambled to put on his glasses. I laughed all the way home.
Your feet may not dance but the way your fingers dance across the keys brings delight to many. May you continue to dance for years to come!
I guess that is her picture. sure beautiful. You are a lucky guy to have had the adventure most of us only dream about and settle for fewer adventures. Keep doing what you are doing. Do you know Cahrlie Parton from shrevefport?
I’ve always thought you two were a great couple