MARY - We met through Sharon Greer. I taught Anika piano, and David taught Lukas. David thought it would be nice to team up with another teacher for end-of-year concerts. We planned to meet at the coffee shop in the IGA mall. He tells me later that he didn't expect to see a classically trained music teacher wearing a Grateful Dead t-shirt with nose and eye brow piercings!
We later connected on a project to teach an after-school music program at Ormstown Elementary School, which we (I think I can speak for both of us) found that we lacked in group management skills. We found ourselves wanting to spend more and more time together which now leads us (15 years later) to shopping the grocery specials together like an old married couple. I think what drew me to David was his kindness. He listens without judgment and strives for my growth and happiness.

DAVID - "so, how's it going with Mary?" a friend asked me after we'd been together a few months and my immediate answer was "well, we sure laugh a lot." And that still remains true after 15 years. Mary, I'll say, you sure are funny...sometimes intentionally! That's one of the jokes we recycle declaring that recycling is good for the planet.

Another thing that became clear from the beginning was that anyone hanging around Mary was in for adventures. Flash forward a few years to us being shushed in the Sistine Chapel by the Vatican police and a few more years to us careening through the crowded, chaotic streets of Ubud, Bali on a Vespa taxi. Mary, myself and the driver. All I can say is if there's such a thing as a soul mate, Mary's mine.