Straight Outta Compton: How I Proposed to my Wife

I asked my wife to marry me on the corner of Imperial Highway and Wilmington Ave. in Compton on Friday, December 20th, 1985 at 5:30 pm.  That's almost thirty years ago, why do I remember it so clearly?  Well,  I graduated from Talbot Seminary that same evening.  It was my Dad's birthday.  It was the Friday before Christmas and I was desperate.  I had arranged a graduation party and an engagement celebration with about 150 people expected.  The problem was I had not proposed to Sallie yet!

Back up.  Sallie had been studying nursing in Alaska that fall semester.  She was scheduled to arrive back in Los Angeles on Wednesday, December 18.  My plan was to meet her at the airport and take her to that super nice, "dinner-in-the-round" restaurant suspended in the middle of LAX.  It was super expensive if I remember correctly and I was a super poor graduate student.  But I had saved my pennies and had a plan.  I had arranged for a plate to be designed that said, "Will you marry me?" at the bottom.  The restaurant was going to load the plate with a dish that would cover the message.  As she ate, the message would show through.  Very romantic, I know!  

Unfortunately, Sallie got grounded in Anchorage, Alaska in a powerful winter snowstorm.  She called on Wednesday to say she did not know when she would be leaving Alaska.  Oh no!  My dinner plan came crashing down.  Thursday!  Still no way to get out of Alaska.  Friday!  Sallie's nursing friend who was with her went to the airline counter and insisted, "This girl needs to get to Los Angeles!  She's getting engaged" (girls know everything-- don't let anybody tell you different).  "Even if you need to fly her to Hawaii first, she needs to get to LA!"  The agent at the counter said, "You know...that's not a bad idea."  So Sallie with clothing on for -20 degree weather was sent on a flight to Hawaii that would connect ultimately to Los Angeles.   Sallie arrived in Hawaii looking like an Eskimo.  

She finally arrived at LAX at 5 pm that Friday night.  Several other problems-- this was the Friday before Christmas week in Los Angeles, California.  Traffic is bad in LA on any Friday night (especially on the west side of LA) but this was the Friday before Christmas week!  Traffic was a nightmare everywhere.  It could take hours to get back to the campus of Biola University where my graduation ceremony was happening at 7 pm!  Was I going to completely blow everything?  Miss my graduation?  Barely make it to my graduation party and engagement party?  NOT be officially engaged to Sallie with everybody there expecting me to announce something?  

I got a plan.  I would take side streets back to La Mirada, California from the airport (about 20 miles) and avoid the very crowded 405 freeway (this is before the 105 for you "in the know" Californians-- makes me think of Saturday Night Live here).  So, on the way back to my graduation and party, I looked over at Sallie and said, "We have a little problem here."  I explained my original plan and then I said with all the romance I could muster in LA Friday night traffic, "Will you marry me?"  It was at the corner of Imperial Highway and Wilmington in Compton.  I remember that because I did have the thought of stopping and finding a romantic spot.  But let's just say it's pretty "urban" in that area and we really didn't have time to stop.  So, there in my car I gave her a ring.  She said yes with a big smile on a godly face.  I wouldn't recommend this approach to other guys but it has worked for us for 29 years!  

By God's good grace, we made it to my graduation in time!  We made it to the party held at our church at the time and announced to 150 friends and family that I was a seminary grad and we were engaged!  I even think I told the story that I JUST asked her on the way from the airport. 

I did promise her that night that I would make it up to her some day.  We did a more formal engagement in San Francisco a few days later while visiting her family (Sallie is from San Jose, CA) in the Bay Area.  

So, "Straight Outta Compton" means something different to me than other people!  


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