I was on-call the night we met...complete with my retro pager. My sister Caitlin was in town for a nursing conference, and we were planning to meet up at Sir Ben's (a fun pub next to Lake Superior) and listen to good music at their weekly Bluegrass Music Night. The plot thickened at lunchtime, because a fellow from an online dating website sent me a message asking to meet. I explained that I was going to Sir Ben's with my sister and we could meet if he wanted, but that it wouldn't be a "real date." He agreed.

Although Caitlin and I arrived early, there were not many free seats left. One of the regulars pointed to a long table by the window and suggested we sit there. I noticed right away a nice looking gentleman sitting at the end of the table, but in true spinster form I didn't speak to him...that would be too forward. I had seen a picture of the fellow I was meeting and, sadly, it wasn't the gentleman now seated to my right...sigh.

A few minutes passed and my "blind non-date" showed up. The conversation was awkward...between the hipster vibe and my sister watching everything. Needless to say, it was NOT a love match. Any potential connection vanished when he told me he had to go outside to "vape." After he left, Caitlin got up to pay her bill and I found myself sitting alone at the table with a kind gentlemen sitting across from me. We exchanged a few comments about bluegrass and I told him I had just moved from Pittsburgh. It turned out, he had family from the 'burgh.

As we were launching into a discussion about the world of the "Stillers," the handsome, tall drink of water returned to his seat next to me. He introduced himself to me by telling me his name was "David Baldes...like the baldest man in the room, except I still have my hair." In David's absence, I had been speaking to his best friend John. As David sat down, he saw my pager and asked if I was a physician or a nurse manager. I told him I was a pediatric ICU doctor at Essentia and he recoiled in mock horror. He informed me that he was psychiatrist at St. Lukes...the rival hospital in town., How very Montague and Capulet.

We (myself, David, John, and Caitlin) sat and chatted for the next hour. At one point David and John launched into a discussion of fractals and my inner geek couldn't believe her ears. A while later, Caitlin and I prepared to leave. David turned to me and asked," how can I get in touch with you...in case I kill a child." John started to chuckle and said, "well, if you killed the kid, I think it will be too late to do anything." I just smiled and said, "I trained at Pittsburgh, you would be surprised at what we can do." Then I gave David my phone number. I had to pinch myself on my way outside...a man hadn't asked for my number in years. I told Caitlin she was a terrific wing woman, and then proceeded to smother her with high pitched giddiness all the way home.

That giddiness has only grown in the time since that night. It's hard to believe that this wonderful man is in my life!

If I recall correctly... I was going through a challenging time in life when Megan and I met. I was meeting up with my oldest friend and best man, John Dover, for the weekly bluegrass nights at Sir Benedict's. John is a good man and was taking good care of me. As we sat and listened to the music, a pair of young women were directed to sit at the far end of the table we shared, as there were no open in the tavern. Some time passed, and I noticed a fairly squirrely looking gentleman join the young women for what looked to be awkward conversation at best.

Later that evening, the squirrely fella had left (reportedly to "vape"), and I found my way to the bar to get John and I another round of drinks. When I returned, John was chatting with one of the lovely young women, who happened to be Megan. As she shares in her story, I had noticed her pager and (figuring she was not likely a drug dealer) inquired about her profession. I was delighted to hear her long and worldly journey through medical education and I was particularly charmed that she was so kind and gracious, carrying such an impressive resume.

I am a strange man and until that night I had never had the chutzpah to ask a woman for her telephone number. I gathered my courage and awkwardly asked how I might get in contact with Megan, quickly offering that it would be for professional purposes (a preemptive strike against the inevitable wound of rejection to come). She shockingly replied, "how about I give you my phone number?"

In the coming weeks, through fits and starts, we formed a strong bond through text messages and phone calls. Megan was angelically patient as I spent time figuring out what I was doing with my life. We started dating in earnest some weeks later, although the timing of the actual real "first date" is up for some debate, and I gather scholars will be engaging that difficult question for some years to come. We quickly recognized the importance of being together and several months later started talking about marriage. In short, Megan has given me (and now Sawyer) more love than I could have ever imagined deserving. She is of the highest order. Supreme. Sublime. The apotheosis of kindness. She is my soulmate.