Mueller Lake Park Outdoor Amphitheater
Valentine's Day Sadness
RECEIVED Mon., March 3, 2008
Dear Editor,
Valentine's Day I get a call from an ex-girlfriend's brother, informing me she had passed away due to diabetic shock. Johanna and I started dating when I got back from a U.S. Army tour in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, in 1994. We met at the Globe in College Station, MLK weekend, when I got back stateside. When I met her brother Kenneth, he asked me to take good care of her because he would be out of town awhile. She came to visit me at Fort Hood on Valentine's Day that year, surprising me with a card, balloon, chocolates, and an Offspring ticket. I would rent horror movies like Phantasm and play like I was scared so I could cuddle up with her. I came down to Austin to visit her a lot; I had the speeding tickets to prove it. I lived in the barracks, and one morning my platoon sergeant conducted a surprise inspection. I tried to hide her in the shower, but he pulled the curtain back and she said, "Hello.” I asked her to marry me when I found out she was carrying my child several months later; she declined, but she became family at that point. Johanna miscarried, and that sort of tragedy is an immense hurdle to overcome. Even though we split up, we've kept in touch all these years. I would still take her out, and we would help each other through rough times. Our last unofficial date was at the Veranda. Dr. Kenneth White, her father, who was a professor of geology at A&M when we met, wanted to have a couple of drinks with dinner after the service. I told them about our last outing and suggested we go there. The family was as pleased as I was with the choice, thanks for the tip Rob Balon. I'm sorry I couldn't do a better job of taking care of her, Kenneth.
Valentine's Day I get a call from an ex-girlfriend's brother, informing me she had passed away due to diabetic shock. Johanna and I started dating when I got back from a U.S. Army tour in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, in 1994. We met at the Globe in College Station, MLK weekend, when I got back stateside. When I met her brother Kenneth, he asked me to take good care of her because he would be out of town awhile. She came to visit me at Fort Hood on Valentine's Day that year, surprising me with a card, balloon, chocolates, and an Offspring ticket. I would rent horror movies like Phantasm and play like I was scared so I could cuddle up with her. I came down to Austin to visit her a lot; I had the speeding tickets to prove it. I lived in the barracks, and one morning my platoon sergeant conducted a surprise inspection. I tried to hide her in the shower, but he pulled the curtain back and she said, "Hello.” I asked her to marry me when I found out she was carrying my child several months later; she declined, but she became family at that point. Johanna miscarried, and that sort of tragedy is an immense hurdle to overcome. Even though we split up, we've kept in touch all these years. I would still take her out, and we would help each other through rough times. Our last unofficial date was at the Veranda. Dr. Kenneth White, her father, who was a professor of geology at A&M when we met, wanted to have a couple of drinks with dinner after the service. I told them about our last outing and suggested we go there. The family was as pleased as I was with the choice, thanks for the tip Rob Balon. I'm sorry I couldn't do a better job of taking care of her, Kenneth.
Mike Homa
