True Love

I first met my wife when working at the Visitor Information Center in the Fort Worth Stockyards.   One Saturday afternoon, another volunteer called me at home to say they had a ticket to the final event of the Tuff Hedeman national bull riding championships.   It was a very expensive box seat and it would look bad if someone didn't use it.   Problem was, they only had one ticket and nobody wanted to go alone.   As a personal  favor, would I promise to use it?   I agreed, not knowing that another volunteer was calling my future bride with exactly the same story, while holding a ticket for the seat next to mine.

Carla and I chatted during the show and at one point, a 2,000lb bull tossed a 150lb cowboy about fifteen feet in the air.   The poor cowboy landed flat on his face with his hands and feet spread.   As one EMT held the victim's head immobile, the other dug a hole in the sand and bull s#$t so the poor guy could breathe.   That was when Carla turned to me and asked "Doesn't that hurt?"

I gotta tell you, it hurt all the way out to the private box seat I occupied.   I nodded and told Carla it very likely would if the guy ever recovered consciousness.

Then she gave me an in.   An opportunity to continue the light conversation of the evening.   "Why in the world do they do it then?"

I assured her I had no idea but would get back with her.   I pondered for a whole month and could find no answer.   In my frustration, I determined to call her anyway and just admit that I can't answer the question.   Hopefully she would take pity on me and we might talk for a few minutes anyway.

I looked up her number in the volunteer database but realized that would be cheating, so I got out the telephone book and looked her up.   Yep, there's the number and there is... Oops!   The listing said Carla and Henry Pugh.   I was crushed.   I was not going to get between Carla and Henry.

A few days went by and I called her one evening.   During the three hour conversation, I learned that "Henry" was her Honda car and she had used the name because of advice not to list a phone in just a woman's name.