I have the pleasure of meeting a lot of people in my job. Sometimes, that means I get to hear about their life story. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of hearing Bruce Robison (no, I did not spell it wrong) and hearing about his story.
In 1967, at age 18, Bruce was visiting friends in Stillwater, staying at their house. He had driven all day and went to bed fairly early. Bruce told me that when he went upstairs to take a shower, he felt a bad head ache all of a sudden. He started to run cold water over his head, to maybe relieve some of the pain. He started to feel nauseous so he went to grab the toilet, as if he were going to vomit.
That is the last thing Bruce remembered.
Bruce had fallen into a coma for 28 days after this. He had an aneurysm in the top of his skull. That was the sharp head ache pain he had. Normally, you would have died from an aneurysm, but Bruce didn't. When he had dome to, he was paralyzed on his entire left side of his body.
His girlfriend at the time, Barbara, had written him letters everyday. Bruce's mom would read them to him. People say that when you are in a coma that you can hear people talking to you. Bruce couldn't.
When Bruce woke up. He remembered seeing his father at the foot of his bed reading a magazine. Bruce was trying to roll over to his right side, but being paralyzed in his left side, it was all just dead weight and was very difficult. It was during this time that Bruce's father realized he had woken up. His father jumped to his side and began to play 20 questions with him. What's your name, what's that last thing you remember, where are you, what's 2 + 2?
Then the doctors came in. They asked the same questions over again.
It turns out that Bruce should have died, but the doctors couldn't figure out why he didn't. They suspected he'd be parlayed on the left side of his body for the rest of his life. He wasn't. In fact, he began physical therapy that next week to learn how to walk and talk again.
He would practice his speech by reading Barbara's letters.
Time passed and he was released to go home. His parents drove him back to their house in Enid Oklahoma where they lived.
On the way, they stopped at a convenience store and Bruce had called Barbara and asked her to meet him at the house when he got there. She agreed.
When Bruce had settled in, Barbara arrived shortly after. Barbara had sat next to him. She asked him if he Got her letters and he told her he had. That his mother had read them to him every day.
It got quiet, Bruce looked at Barbara and asked her if she would marry him.
Barbara could have thought of many reasons to say no. One being that he was paralyzed and couldn't even take care of himself yet. She didn't even know what their quality of life would be. Yet, that didn't stop her from saying yes.
Bruce then began to tell me how they had a great life together and she gave him four children. 3 boys and 1 girl. All born in the same hospital, all brought home in the same '71' Grand Prix. He said that Barbara had wanted a girl, that is why they kept having more.
It was three and a half years ago that Barbara had died. She had leukemia. He said that he felt her take her last breath on the living room floor. Bruce was crying at this part of the story. He said that he was so thankful that God gave him a chance at life. He said that him and Barbara didn't have much money, but they were always happy and he wouldn't had traded it for the world.
He said, when he dies, he is going to be buried with the letters that Barbara wrote him.
I have been thinking about this story a lot today. Bruce was shocked when I told him that I am neither married, nor in a serious relationship.
I told him that it was because I believe in a love, like the one Barbara and him experienced. And so far, I guess I haven't found that love, or else I would be with them. I can say that I think that I have felt that love and maybe I still do. However, that is neither here nor relevant to me today. That person is moved on.
No, I told Bruce that it is not as if I don't think that there are women out there who want to date me, it's just that I have very high standards. I am a big believer in first impressions. If I don't get that instantaneous feeling right when we go out or I meet them, I usually won't pursue it.
Everyone says that I am too picky. I say that I God just has been waiting for me to grow up. It's stories like these that encourage me to stay strong and not just go for any girl that comes along. I have recently started asking myself, "what would______ think of her" (the _____ being my secret)?
You see, for the past year, I have dated the trashiest of trashiest of women (with the exception of a couple). None would have ever been approved. I was just looking for someone to be with. None of the wives ever approved of any of them. They all say that I had become a "serial dater."
I know now, what it is I am looking for. I am looking for what Bruce had. That regardless of my financial situation (still a provider), regardless of my health or my occupation, that my spouse will love me.
I know that love is designed by God and I know that when it is the right time I will find her. I guess, seeing all my friends and brother get married lately has really got me thinking a lot about love and such. I won't lower my standards, nor will I give up searching.
Just hope the search ends soon.
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