Some people might wonder: Is true love at first sight just a romantic fantasy? Or does it ever really happen? These were not thoughts that had occurred to me yet when I was 13 years old. I was old enough to start noticing girls, but the notion of true love, much less at first sight, was still abstract. That was soon to change.
My main love back then was music. I played keyboards in bands with schoolmates and dreamed of becoming a rock star. I liked the music of bands like Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Yes, but my older sister and I were also big Elton John fans. When we found out he was going to perform in the city, we begged our mother to take us. Always so cheerful, she agreed to load the car with me, my sister, and a group of my sister's teenage friends.
One of these friends invited her younger sister, Susan, to join us. Being the youngest two in the car, Susan and I were relegated to the “way back” of our Ford Country Squire station wagon.
Sitting across from her in those little folding back seats, I felt something I had never felt before. She was tall and striking, with long brown hair with straight bangs over her bright brown eyes. She laughed with a dimpled smile and was easy to talk to. I fell in love instantly and almost forgot why we were all making that long trip from the San Fernando Valley to Inglewood. Is this what true love feels like?
Once inside the Fabulous Forum, I made sure to choose a seat next to her. Elton was fabulous too, although my mind wandered a lot of the time. I'm sure I spent most of the show looking at her instead of the stage. She sang “Benny and the Jets” and “Crocodile Rock,” while I wondered: Is she feeling what I feel? Is there a spark for her too? Or are you put off by my braces, my glasses or my height disadvantage? These questions would have to wait: Elton was his center of attention that night.
Back at Portola Junior High School in Tarzana, I took every opportunity to try to meet her. She was a grade below me, so that meant exploring the playground at lunch and between classes, and then trying to find reasons to have a conversation. A safe excuse was to discuss any news with Elton. I once surprised her with a new Elton John album on its first day of release. Sometimes I managed to find excuses to call her and we would have long conversations until a brother told one of us to stop hogging the line.
Through these encounters my feelings for her continued to grow. She was smart, witty and kind, and shared my love of making music. How could there be anyone more perfect for me?
Soon I had the courage to declare my love for him. I went to her house and she listened patiently as I told her how I felt and expressed my certainty that one day we would get married. Susan sat quietly and listened, and kindly gently explained that she didn't feel the same way. He said he hoped we could remain friends. Naturally, I felt devastated, but somehow I still imagined that this was simply a temporary setback.
We kept in touch over the next few years, although less frequently. I continued to play in various bands and she became the star of her high school choir. We would share our experiences over long phone calls. By the time I turned 16, my family had moved south to Westchester, near Los Angeles International Airport, and hers had moved further north to Westlake Village. The extra distance didn't completely dampen my hopes, but it certainly made the chances of us crossing paths that much more remote. But as luck would have it, that summer Susan and her sister came to visit us one day when they were in the area.
When she got out of the car, I instantly had the same feeling I experienced three years earlier. Could things be different for her this time? Now I had the advantage of having my braces removed. Contact lenses had replaced my glasses, plus the height advantage was now mine. Lo and behold, she casually suggested that maybe we could go out someday. I made sure “sometime” was as soon as possible.
Our first real date was ice skating at Topanga Plaza, followed by dinner at Carl's Jr. She was still easy to talk to and still the love of my life. She also revealed a mischievous side. She had said before the date that she didn't know how to skate very well, but then proceeded with a smile to skate circles around me with the grace of an Olympic athlete. It was the first of many examples that Susan was never someone to underestimate.
We ended that evening with our first kiss, something I had been imagining since that first concert. The wait was worth it and we have been inseparable ever since.
Sunday marks 50 years since that fateful Elton John concert on October 6, 1974. In the decades since, Susan and I have played in bands together, founded companies together, and traveled the world together. We have shared over 42 years of marriage, raised two wonderful children, and have been blessed with a grandson. And of course, we've attended countless more Elton John shows. Regardless, I feel truly blessed to have had 50 years of that “love at first sight” feeling every time I see her.
The author is a semi-retired strategic advisor for audio and musical instrument companies, and was previously a studio musician and product designer. He and Susan, both Los Angeles natives, played in bands together for many years and co-founded the guitar products company Line 6. They now reside in Ventura County and still play music together at home.
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