Sometimes you wonder about people. And perhaps you should not.
I remember Paul and Laura. They met online / via a newsgroup and became a couple. Scatty youngsters at the time - he British, she American and the whole immigration shenanigans got in their way. Don't think families were very supporting and I remember having them round to my place in Swindon and getting a Chinese takeaway with them, giving them a shoulder when I was living in Nythe in Swindon ... when they should have been a day or two off their wedding in the USA but the paperwork had been wrong.
I guess I remember them for
some reason - and yet perhaps that's the wrong reason. For I too questioned "will this last" and wondered at their practicallity / sanity and the longevity of the relationship, and her slight lethary too. I questioned - but I look back and think that whilst I might have been correct to question, I was wrong in any negative conclusions I might have reached. Paul and Laura have three lovely kids, and it's crystal clear from her posts that they're caring, loving parents and very much people I would call not only facebook friends, but real friends too.
Take a look
[here]. Turned out Laura has a heart condition, and over the past three years I've followed on Facebook as she's been ill - really ill - and being through the ups and downs of waiting for, then receiving, a heart transplant - with all the ups and downs that follow such an operation. And Paul very much there, very much to support her and the children.
Lisa was asking earlier today "why can't people admit they've made a mistake / changed their mind" - in talking about local politicians, so nothing to do with Laura and Paul. But I'm proud to turn around and say that I misread them all those years ago in Nythe - that Paul and Laura are far, far more complete, sane, lovely people than I would ever have given them credit for, and I salute them.
"Happy Valentine's Day! Less than two years after transplant, heart recipient Laura Boyce Baker will run the marathon relay!!!"
(written 2016-02-13, updated 2016-02-14)
Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles
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[388] BBQ Season - (2005-07-24)
[392] No Smoking - (2005-07-27)
[423] A Victorian Lady - (2005-08-23)
[530] Perl course during the week, getting married at the weekend - (2005-12-16)
[543] The world didn't stop for Christmas - (2005-12-26)
[584] Loosing breath with Gerald - (2006-01-31)
[601] A fond memory of Sir Freddie - (2006-02-11)
[611] Look out for the motor cyclist - (2006-02-17)
[650] A person of few words - (2006-03-18)
[704] Erin Brent - rest in peace - (2006-04-29)
[763] Much more that the world cup - (2006-06-15)
[771] From cat breeder to Cobol to Perl - (2006-06-21)
[794] Perl delegate - much more than just a delegate - (2006-07-06)
[820] Robert and William Whitworth - (2006-08-01)
[1064] Light and shadows at Beach - (2007-02-04)
[1065] Graham Ellis - an Introduction - (2007-02-05)
[1107] Weekend Visitors - (2007-03-13)
[1119] The Last Word on the road - (2007-03-26)
[1151] Gordon Dodge, R.I.P. - (2007-04-16)
[1197] Back off home with our best wishes - (2007-05-21)
[1238] The kind spirit of Melksham - (2007-06-21)
[1279] The Gdansk fireball - (2007-07-27)
[1303] Heading Upstate New York - (2007-08-14)
[1385] Delegates of all shapes and sizes - (2007-10-09)
[1522] Paging Martin Noke, who petitions for more trains from Trowbridge to Swindon - (2008-01-28)
[1570] London Midland ... Merrymaker ... Percy Danks - (2008-03-10)
[1627] Amazing family members - (2008-05-02)
[1916] Why I remember East Grafton - (2008-12-02)
[1980] Michelle - (2009-01-06)
[1988] Melksham, Wiltshire. Town Crier Competition, 2009 - (2009-01-11)
[2078] A lot has changed - but the memory lingers on - (2009-03-12)
[2100] Visiting Family - (2009-03-23)
[2132] Learning about Lurchers - (2009-04-18)
[2503] Melksham manslaughter case concludes - sort of - (2009-11-14)
[2795] Simon says - (2010-06-05)
[2846] Catching up with an old friend - (2010-07-01)
[2886] Congratulations, Kimberly - (2010-07-25)
[3008] Dulwich College Preparatory, and Sevenoaks, Schools - (2010-10-21)
[3034] Birth Notice - Aeryn Cassandra Ellis - (2010-11-07)
[3055] Zyliana Kyrei Cox - (2010-11-16)
[3125] The family is defunct. Long live the family. - (2011-01-09)
[3184] Visiting relatives - (2011-02-26)
[3268] Baby Pictures - (2011-04-27)
[3297] A long day, a long journey, and families and similarities the world over - (2011-05-22)
[3298] Quiet Monday in - (2011-05-23)
[3355] Family Pictures - (2011-07-12)
[3466] Passing of Steve Jobs - R.I.P. - (2011-10-06)
[3512] A colleague and friend who changed my life - (2011-11-07)
[3775] Alan Turing - 1912 to 1954 - (2012-06-23)
[3905] How should we choose our Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner? - (2012-10-27)
[3981] Melksham - a town of some remarkable people - (2013-01-19)
[4193] Using our non-found page to help look for missing persons - (2013-10-18)
[4349] When I am old, what will worry me? - (2014-12-11)
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[4728] Visiting Los Alamitos Bay Yacht Club - (2016-11-23)
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