Craziness Is in the Eye of the Beholder

By B. Lynn Goodwin.

“I love my crazy husband,” says my battle-gray shirt, which is splotched like an artist’s canvas

“I love my crazy wife,” says a similar one that he wears.

We got them on a visit to Padre Island, not far from Corpus Christi, TX, where my husband grew up. The night we purchased them, we also wore them to dinner. Maybe I was grinning self-consciously. More likely I was beaming.

A woman in the bar with dark eyes and curly gray hair nodded as she read them. Her eyes were filled with understanding and approval as she silently toasted us.

“I love those shirts,” said a chic 20-something, whose arm were curled around her boyfriend.

“Marriage is great. You should try it,” my husband told her.

She laughed and looked up at the tall man beside her. “We might do that… someday,” he said.

Back home, we wore them to P.F. Changs for dinner. A woman with a husband and toddler told me, “I love my crazy husband too,” as we walked past her table.

“Isn’t it a great feeling?” I said. I loved being a part of the sisterhood of wives.

A few minutes later, a dark skinned man made eye contact with me and nodded.

A young woman with bushy black hair came up to my husband as we were waiting to pay our parking fee before leaving the garage and said, “That is so cool. How long have you two been married?”

I grinned as my husband said, “Six months.” In three more days it will be seven months.

To look at us, you’d never know. He’s been married a total of 44 years and has been a widower twice. I’m a genuine newlywed. I married my first husband when I was over sixty.

We’re an odd couple—unalike in so many ways. He earns his living as an electrical contractor, and he’s also the pastor of a small Free Will Baptist Church. I’m technically retired and I supplement my income in the world of freelance writing and coaching. He fixes my plugs, and I am his walking dictionary.

We met on Craigslist. Most of my friends warned me about the dangers of marrying him so soon. I’d agree, if I didn’t know, on some very basic level, that my husband is both honest and trustworthy. Call us crazy if you want to. We believe craziness is in the eye of the beholder. We’re both in our sixties, so we decided to take a practical approach. If not now, when?

Sometimes life encourages you to take a leap, to step off the cliff and trust. I did that when I married my crazy husband. Our life is busy and exhausting. I wouldn’t trade the things we’ve done, the places we’ve been, and our dreams about the future for anything. I’m having adventures with my crazy husband, and the world delights in the way we show it. Maybe our shirts have inspired a few couples to add a little adventure and sparkle into their lives. I think so, based on the reactions we’ve gotten.

Tell me about your crazy husband, wife, or significant other.