I Awoke this Morning Remembering: Memories of Us

(Written by: April Elizabeth Goble for Trannon Goble)

I remember the first time I saw you. It was at the Sound Shop in Walnut Square Mall. I was with your cousin, she went to talk to you..I barely looked up. You reminded me of a vampire..and I LOVED that!

I still remember that black leather jacket. I even remember the wonderful smell it had, of course it smelled like you. I LOVED laying my head on your shoulder and just inhaling.

I remember our first conversation on the telephone, you called Melissa’s one night to talk and I was staying the night with her. It ended up being you and I who talked and we talked and talked all night long.

I remember the first time you went to meet my parents. My Mom said that they were just meeting you and not to expect to go out on a date or anything just yet. By the end of the night, you and I were in the parking lot of Checkers..I had a chicken sandwich, plain, (as not to embarrass myself with dribbling anything like mayo or tomato juice down my chin or clothes).

I hardly ate anything. I was nervous. I talked more than I ate. You took me home and I went to my room and got rid of pictures I had had for years of my first huge crush. He no longer existed…it was just you.

I remember the first time you took me to meet your parents. I was scared to death. What if they didn’t like me? They were so sweet. They had fixed spaghetti and garlic bread and it was SO good. I don’t remember much of the conversation. I only remember being nervous and trying very hard to assure their approval.

I remember our first Christmas. You came over to my house, I cooked your favorite food. The sausage balls turned out to be flat sausage cakes..but they were good and it was my very first attempt. I sometimes STILL make sausage cakes accidentally, but for the most part I have it figured out now. You gave me my present.

I had wanted a CD player and you gave me a red, blue and yellow toy CD player with tiny little CD’s that actually played in it. When I opened it up to put one of the little CD’s in, there was a necklace laying inside. The disco ball necklace and a tennis bracelet. I was shocked. I wore them pretty much ALL the time. You got the Pink Floyd box set and a Dallas Cowboy’s T.

I remember sitting at Little Rome with you, mom and dad. You handed me your jacket and asked me to put it on the other side of me..I did and when I turned back around there was a box sitting open in front of me, with a ring. My heart sank. You asked me if I’d marry you. I sat there staring, I looked at mom and dad as if to say “Is it ok?” They were grinning from ear to ear. I believe mom snapped me out of it and I said YES! YES! YES!

I remember spending almost EVERY single day together thereafter. I remember riding on your paper routes with you every Wednesday.

I remember building our house. I remember planning the wedding. I remember every detail of the wedding. I remember stopping at the store next to a Hardees on our way to Gatlinburg, for our honeymoon, to wash the Ford Ranger free of shaving cream.

I remember that church with its sign “Death is just around the corner” at the road we had to turn at to make it to our cabin. (that still freaks me out and makes me laugh to this day!) I remember Amanda’s Cottage, it was like an over-sized doll house, beautiful.

I remember the way it smelled..it was wonderful too. I remember getting our airbrushed honeymoon t-shirts. It was August and it was hot but I was too happy to even care.

I remember on a totally separate trip, during one of our “Winter Trips”, the night in Gatlinburg when it snowed like crazy. We went out to walk in the winter wonderland.

We went in the hotel lobby and got some hot apple-cider before really heading out. After we drank it, we ventured on. I remember having a mini snowball fight..very mini..lol..I threw one at you, you threw one at me..we called a truce and we continued on until we came to the little coffee shop on the corner. We went up stairs.

You ordered a Cappuccino I ordered a Vanilla Steamer. We found us a little spot next to the floor to ceiling windows and we sat there looking out over Gatlinburg under a blanket of snow. Nothing could compare to that moment. It was one of those moments where you actually realize how spectacular it is as it is happening, rather than living it and years later realizing the magic of it.

I remember being pregnant with Syd, sitting on the lawn at the Roger Waters’ concert with you…listening to “It’s A Miracle” and “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”, staring up at the stars thinking..there’s no way it gets any better than this.

I remember him singing “Brain Damage” as all of us on the grass cheered as he sang “The lunatics are on the grass” Then the drunk guy threw up and the other guy came by and slipped in it..and still it didn’t change the moment. It added a bit of cosmic humor to the memory.

I woke up with memories FLOODING my brain this morning. There are so many. We’ve had ups and downs, but we grew to a point together where we learned to talk to one another about absolutely ANYthing and EVERYthing. You are my best friend. You are my lover. You inspire me. You move me. You make me smile.

You hold so so many of my good days and bad days and blah days..but for the most part..the things I remember the most are holding hands while you rub my fingers, listening to you play your guitar, occasionally slow dancing in our psychedelic journey living room, laying in bed at night..side by side..reading books, morning walks, Hugs, walking down the strip in Gatlinburg and going into the Mountain Mall and Earth Bound, and ALL of the crazy things we’ve done together and we do together.

Honestly, I couldn’t see my life without you in it. I love you, Mr. Trannon Lee Goble of Chatsworth, GA. I love your mind, body and spirit. Everything…even your stubbornness’. You are who you are, in a constant state of learning and growing. You amaze me.

I could go on forever, but I will stop. I just want to say thank you for giving me, and being a part of, so many of my incredible memories. So, raising a glass,  here’s to many many more to come.