Lorinda, the Jedi Knights, and I

The most defining moment in my life came on June 24, 1977.  Some of my work experiences had helped me decide to go back to school and get a four-year degree – in what, I wasn’t sure.  But based on a friend’s recommendation, I went to the Plitt Century City Cinema at what was then the City Shopping Centre in Orange.  There I put down some of my scarce money and went inside to see a movie called STAR WARS.  (That was all it was known as then:  no Episode IV, no “A New Hope”.)  I won’t even try to describe the experience – except that when I left that theatre, I felt as if I were ‘skywalking’ six feet above the ground.  During that summer I saw the movie 11 more times, joined a new club based on the movie and its canon (in fact, I was the first person to actually pony up membership dues) and enrolled in the School of Communications (Radio/TV/Film emphasis) at Cal State Fullerton.  Since I had taken general education courses at Orange Coast College from ’71 to ’77 (AA:  Marine Technology (Electronics)) I had virtually all those requirements filled and only had to take major courses.  By taking one emphasis-required course during the summer of ’78, I was able to get my BA in June of ’79.

Meanwhile:  that “new club” put me into contact with many imaginative and creative people – including the very smart, very insightful Lorinda.  One summer night after a 1978 club meeting, we stuck around in the parking lot and discussed our fictional characters.  At the end of the evening, suddenly and without warning, she kissed me.  It was a rather clumsy effort on both our parts, so I asked, “May we try that again?” (or words to that effect).  We could, and did.  A couple of days later I went over to the place she shared with her sister and a longtime friend (who were both at work).  We had lunch, then went swimming in the complex pool.  I was dressing to leave, and my soft shoes were sitting on the love-seat next to me.  She came down the stairs, came over to the love-seat, sat down on my shoes, and kissed me again…and again…and again.  That eventually led to the second-most defining moment in my life:  September 12, 1980, where I swore before God, family and friends that I was hers and she was mine for so long as we both lived.  She did not drop her maiden name, but hyphened mine onto hers claiming that to do otherwise would make it sound as if she were a professional ecdysiast.  (LOOK IT UP if you don’t know what that means.)  And we have made it work through some very rough patches (including some things that almost happened during the period of depression I went through after my mother's passing) for coming up on 27 years.

BTW:  that “new club” is celebrating its 30th year of existence in 2007. It does have a website, which can be accessed here. If you need a map to the meeting location, you can view/download a PDF from here. If you have any questions about this club, please contact me at the E-address shown below.

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