Garth was my first college boyfriend. We met at a fraternity party. The house where the party was hosted was a split level home. I was sitting on the floor of the living room at the lower level and Garth was standing in the dining room at the upper level and holding a red rose. Garth caught my eye, sniffed the rose and threw it down at my feet. In that instant, I was completely smitten.
Garth was a big time surfer and skimboarder, worked in the warehouse of Lucky supermarket and smoked dope from time to time. I loved that he had a kind heart and a huge amount of goofy optimism toward life. He always wore 501s, Oxford shirts and Flojos and drove a beat up Camaro (when it was working). He was a huge romantic and brought me cards and flowers nearly every time he saw me.
He had a learning disability so he'd dropped out of school. That was difficult for me because I value education. After we parted ways, he returned to college and studied a foreign language so he could serve in the mission field in China.
We dated from the winter of 1980 through the fall/winter of 1981. I loved him madly but I knew he wasn't "the one." I knew that, if I stayed with him, I'd never graduate from college or become a better person.
And yet, he still broke my heart when I found he was cheating on me--especially because I found out about it from my best friend. I remember running from his apartment in tears, looking at the cracks in the sidewalk and thinking, "This is the last time I'll ever see these things."
My Mom always shared the Gospel with my friends. Garth was no exception. Years later, he became a pastor and went to China on a mission trip. I think he ended up being a youth pastor. He sent me a letter apologizing for many things in our relationship. I lost track of him decades ago and never expect to see him again on this side of heaven. I look forward to seeing him again in eternity.
