Close Your Eyes and I'll Kiss You

Press play.

  Now, you have background music for the story I'm about to tell.

It was November 9, 1964.  The big hand was almost on the 7.  There I sat like an Indian on the gold shag carpet in my parents' bedroom on a school night in front of the THE TV in our home on Neal Street in Carthage, TX.  My hair was wet with corduroy stripes fresh from a mermaid bath followed my mother's vigorous detangling with a rat tail comb.  I was scrubbed clean.  The part in my hair was arrow straight, fresh and pink.  I had jiggled a Qtip in each of my ears.  My breath was minty fresh.  My heart was racing.  Breaths came quick.  

I was moments away from meeting my future husband.

First came a brief introduction from Ed Sullivan.  It was going to be a REALLY BIG SHEW with these "YOUNGSTERS FROM LIVERPOOL."  The curtains parted, and then, HE "spoke" to me.  He looked straight into my shining eyes and sang, "Close your eyes, and I'll kiss you."  It was that exact moment in time that I fell head over heels in love.  

Deeply, truly and eternally in love with Paul McCartney.

Elvis Presley was reduced to a passing fancy.  My devotion was wholly given to my favorite Beatle.  The "cute one." 

I was all, "Choose ME.  Want ME.  Love ME, Paul McCartney."

That Christmas, Santa brought me my first electronic device - a record player.  It was robin's egg blue, and it was portable.  I could close up its turtle shell and drag it from room to room.  On it I carefully placed my very first 45s - I Want to Hold Your Hand/This Boy and Can't Buy Me Love/You Can't Do That.

He was all...

I give her all my love

That's all I do-oo

And If you saw my love

You'd love her too-oo

I love her.

His voice curled into the air and wrapped itself around my 7 year old soul as I hugged myself swaying to the music.

And so, we were wed about 158 times in my living room there on Neal Street.  Me and my Paul.   My "something borrowed" was my mother's lacy half-slip which became my bridal veil.  My childhood playmates, Kristi and Penny, officiated.  In serious tones they serenaded me as I marched the aisle from our breakfast room through the dining room and into the living room.  HERE COMES THE BRIDE.  HERE COMES THE BRIDE.  Step-touch.  Step-touch.  Step-touch.

For years Paul was my one and only true love.  Truth be told, there were a few little dalliances along the way.  My eyes glazed over dreaming of leaving on a jet plane heading towards the Rocky Mountains with John Denver.  In time, I longed to  see sunny days that I thought would never end with James Taylor.  But, Paul kept luring me back to his Sergeant Pepper world by whispering Black Bird softly into my ear. 

You know you did you know you did you know you did.

The news that Paul has scheduled a special stop in Lubbock during the Out There tour came as no surprise to me.  "They" say that Paul wants to come pay homage to his mentor, Buddy Holly.  "They" are wrong.

Paul McCartney is coming to see his child-bride.  She Who Dreamed.  She Who Believed.

The long and winding road 

that leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before 

it always leads me here
Leads me to your door

I'm off to the attic in search of my broad-brimmed Easter hat pictured above.  I've changed quite a bit since our wedding days, but, when he sees me in that Easter hat visions of the child-bride will come flooding back.  No wait!  I'm heading to Raider Ranch to borrow one of Mom's half-slips!  That should do the trick.

June 14.  2014.  8:00PM.  See you there.

Remember that I'll always.  Be in love with you.  You.  You.  You.

Oh, and, Paul, I need to let you down gently.  Back in 1976, my heart was stolen by the true Man of My Dreams.  Alan.  Come to think of it...back in THE DAY...he certainly looked a lot like Donnie Osmond.  Sigh.  My heart still throbs.