Something happened at the fair

© Mark M. Hancock / NewsEagles

I made this image while Fayrouz and I were on the Texas Star Ferris wheel in October of 2000. She stopped by for a few hours on her way from Detroit to Sydney. The entry below will let you know why I made the image.


Back before there were blogs, I would occasionally create a hidden page on my website for friends and family. In retrospect, these were a precursor to a blog. I wrote a special entry in October 2000. Since Fayrouz and I will celebrate our 4th anniversary this week, I thought I’d share the entry with y’all.

Dear friends,

Fay returned to Dallas on Saturday for one more evening before her return to Sydney, Australia. As I write this, Fay is flying over the Pacific. I hope she is sleeping soundly as she has a long flight from L.A. to Australia.

This was opening weekend at the Texas State Fair. The weather was perfect and the smells and sounds of the midway and the food courts danced through the air. From the top of the Texas Star Ferris wheel, we could see the Dallas skyline glowing in vibrant neon colors as the sun blazed farewell through the western sky beyond the city.

Fay didn’t understand why I was so insistent on being at the fair, on this ride at this specific time when she would only be in town for a few hours. The answer was simple. I told her a hokey little poem, “I want you to be my love, I want you to be my life, I want you to be my hopes and dreams, and I want you to be my wife.”

Then, I opened the ring box and showed her the ring. After some shock, she said, “Yes.”

The ring is a sapphire with diamonds. It is small but perfect for Fay and sparkles like her laughter and the light in her eyes. Her full name, Fayrouz, means turquoise in Arabic. Her favorite color is blue. So, the sapphire is right for us.

With the ring upon her finger, we got off the ride and got some wine coolers and soft pretzels and dipped them in nacho cheese while listening to the country-band-of-the-hour sing love songs in the shadow of the Cotton Bowl.

BTW, Fay didn’t know what any of these things were until the moment she experienced them - as it’s been for many of the moments we’ve shared together. I don’t recall being that happy during my life. It was simple and silly, but just right for us.

We left the fair as quickly as we arrived. Fay will one day get to visit the fair and know where she was. However, from now on, when I see the Texas Star on television or in person and feel the excitement of fall and fair season, I may hold my breath at sunset and remember the one magic moment we shared before we start the next part of our lives.

We don’t know where we will live (U.S. or Australia) or what jobs we will have or when any of this will occur, but we are both preparing to move from one side of the planet to the other. We will assess what options we have at the end of October. But for now, both of our job opportunities are strongest in Dallas. The latest that we could be together would be April. If she gets an offer in Dallas this month, she will be here. As soon as I have my new passport, I could move there. We are simply letting the wind decide which way we should fly together.

Thank you to all who have given us words of encouragement through the last few months. I can see happiness in my future now, and I wish the same love and laughter to everyone I know.

Bless the present,
Trust yourself,
Expect the best,

As you can tell, she came to Dallas on March 11, 2001. Since then we've gone to the Texas State Fair several times. We had our official JP wedding on March 16, 2001, followed by three more church and spiritual ceremonies. After this many weddings, we are really married – and really happy with our life together.

On the anniversary of her arrival to America each year, the trees begin to blossom and life begins it's cycle anew. By Wednesday, the bluebonnets should begin to bloom as well. As we wait and prepare to move to a new city, it seems strange how we have come back to the beginning again.

Enough for now,