Tried And True Methods Still Work
People are always looking for exotic ways to meet one another. Putting their name and number on a billboard, passing out cards at the train station, taking out an ad in the Harvard newsletter. But sometimes, the old tried and true methods fix-ups, parties, bars are the best. Here’s where some women found their men.
Megan: “I was 29 and had dated a lot of men, but rarely anyone for more than three months. My friend’s mother had three unmarried daughters and she was lamenting about it to a nun. The nun told my mom’s friend to get St. Anne prayer cards. St. Anne is the mother of Mary. I am a believer in prayer and thought, ‘Well, I’ve tried everything else, why not?’ The woman bought the cards for her daughters and me and started saying this prayer every day: ‘St. Anne, St. Anne, bring me a man.’ Since I am also a believer in positive thinking, I decided I should describe the type of man I was looking for. I started listing the qualities I wanted: sense of humor, successful, family-oriented, someone I was attracted to who would love and cherish me.
“About two months later - I had been saying the prayer every day - I was in the middle of saying my prayers when I suddenly prayed, ‘God, just so you know, whenever you are ready for me to have a normal relationship, I’m ready.’ I had never prayed something like that before. A wonderful feeling of peace came over me.
“Two days later, on a Friday night, I had plans to go to a bar with a friend. During the day, I talked to another friend and she suggested I go to this new bar. Later that day, my manicurist told me about the same bar. So when my friend picked me up, I said, ‘Why don’t we stop at this new place? Two people mentioned it was fun. We’ll just stay a little bit.’ We got there and had a drink and were walking around when I saw two guys standing at the bar. I was drawn to one of them and determined to talk to him. We wound up talking for four hours.
“We started going out and it immediately felt different. Tom had every quality I had prayed for. Six months later he proposed and seven months later we were married. I married the answer to my prayers.”
Cassie: “I don’t go for fix-ups and I especially didn’t want to get fixed up with George since he had just gotten his second divorce. But I trusted our mutual friend, Nancy, since she knew his whole family. I wasn’t exactly having the best of luck in my romantic life. I had just moved back to Detroit after 10 years of living in Houston and two bad marriages. I didn’t know a lot of people and had tried the personals. Each guy I dated made me more depressed. I couldn’t believe the lies these guys would tell. Labor Day weekend, I agreed to meet George at his family’s cottage. We sat up and talked until 5:30 a.m. We were together the next day, too, and no hanky panky, either. We fell in love immediately and were married six weeks later. Our wedding cake read, ‘The third time is always a charm.”’
Elaine: “In 1968, when I was 23, if you were not married, you were an old maid. I dated many guys, but none interested me. I decided to pursue a career. My cousin asked me to be a bridesmaid at her wedding. When I saw the best man, the groom’s brother, I saw stars. It was instant love. Two weeks later, we were talking marriage. Nine months later, we did it. It’s been 28 years and I would marry him again in a second. It’s been one long honeymoon.”
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