Shortly after I broke up with Jane, I dated a new girl. I had initially met her when she was one year old, at a birthday party for her that my Mother took me to! Her parents and my Mother were music teachers and friends. I visited Houston sometimes and saw her, but never thought of her in any other manner than as an acquaintance. She, however, decided on a visit I made upon the death of her grandmother, that she was going to marry me! In July of 1968, my Mother and I visited Houston and went out to see her folks. I told her that when she came to Dallas to call and we could go out. She did and when she called, I tried to get a date for her and the roommate she brought with her and I was going to go out with the roommate. I couldn't find a date for Rosemary, so ending up taking both of them out--WORST DATE I EVER HAD! But I found this girl, named Rosemary, intriguing and asked her out WITHOUT her roommate! We dated in Dallas and in Kilgore where she went to Kilgore Junior college. We had excursions to Bossier City, Louisiana, and she visited me in Commerce at ETSU. What began as just an acquaintance grew into true love. On December 31, 1968, I asked Rosemary to be my wife and she said the magic word, yes!

I would like to say nothing went wrong this time, but I can't. I knew my Mom would try to break it up, so I didn't tell her. In November of 1968, I had been drafted into the Army and was stationed first at Ft. Polk, Louisiana, and then at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX. I was to be a medical specialist. After I asked Rosemary to marry me, I was transferred to Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and was a long way from her in Houston. The impossible happened! She got lonely and went out on me and it resulted in an unwanted pregnancy. She called me to tell me the marriage was off. I said NO and to come to Colorado and we would discuss it. She did and the rest is history.

We decided to get married there in the Springs and called our parents and were married on July 14, 1967. We got an garage apartment and lived there for the next 1-1/2 years while I was in the Army. We were very happy. The baby was put up for adoption after being born because as she said, "I want to give this marriage a chance and have your babies". It was her decision; I merely presented the options to her.

We returned to Texas; to Dallas at first and then to Commerce where I continued my education and we worked. I completed my B.S in psychology and sociology in June of 1970 and did graduate hours in psychology working on a Master's. I have a total of 65 graduate hours. During this time, we had children of our own. Kristina was born in 1971 and Dena was born in 1974. I will discuss them in a later chapter. I worked as an inhalation therapist in a local hospital and Rosemary as a factory worker in a wood factory. These were the best years of our life together; filled with joys and pains of early marriage. We loved together and laughed together. We had many wonderful friends and shared wonderful times. I was cooking a lot to help her out and we enjoyed having our own places to live and collecting things for our places. With the joys of babies, we had a new thrill . . . and a new responsibility. I had quit my job as a therapist and took a full-time job as manager of a local package store in Commerce.

The downside was that I worked sometimes as much as 66 hours a week during the summer and Rosemary got lonely even though I was working only 250 yards from the apartment. I was tired a lot and didn't pay as much attention to her as I should have and it cost me. She began doing the one thing that would destroy her and my life; she began to drink. Only a little at first, but then there were the antidepressants and the tranquilizers from the doctors. An affair with a student, a suicide attempt and other things were beginning to destroy what was a perfect marriage and turned into a 20-year nightmare. I didn't realize it at first that alcohol was her crutch. I just didn't know. After the affair and an overdose, we sought out counseling with my major professor and I forgave her for her affair. All seemed to be well, but it was not. We left Commerce and came to Dallas and a new fresh start. I left my uncompleted Master's thesis to try again to regain my love and my life--another mistake by me.