This story first appeared in the Feb. 12, 2010 print edition of The Eagle’s Tale.

He graduated early from high school and went to college for six weeks, quickly deciding college was just as bad as high school. I love school and have been attending the majority of the last fifty years.

He is quiet, doesn’t talk very much, and hates crowds. I am loud, my mouth rarely stops moving, and I enjoy in the center of all the action.

He is early to bed and early to rise. The only sunrise I care to see is right after I have stayed awake all night and am then ready to sleep until noon.

He rarely gets mad. I usually skip mad and go straight to furious in a matter of mere seconds.

He loves to fly hot air balloons, and I like to drive fast cars.

He never worries about anything. I rate the importance of everything according to the degree of stress created.

He has five pairs of shoes while I have closer to 500.

He combs his hair once a day whether it needs it or not. I can’t pass a mirror without checking for imperfections.

He enjoys going fishing at the lake with no showers for a few days. I love taking pictures from the top of the Eiffel Tower, floating around Venice in a gondola, and standing awestruck in the Sistine Chapel.

He remembers every special day and gives the best presents in the world. I once forgot my birthday.

He was my best guy friend. I was his secret crush.

I found out about the crush, and he proposed. We were married on October 18, 1974, and the last 35 years have been a journey of shared differences.