Monday, February 20, 2006





Monday Memories: Did I ever tell you about
MY HUSBAND'S LADY FRIENDS?

In 1994 when my husband took a buy-out from the downtown Columbus architectural firm where he was an owner, he was also leaving the exercise class at the Y where he was an instructor. I suggested an aerobics class meeting at our suburban church just 2 miles from our home where he established his new office. He was a bit reluctant since it was an all female and much younger group, but he tried the two classes, strength and aerobics, taught by a variety of instructors who were formidable, powerful and funny. He was hooked.

Control and discipline are needed both for sustained attendance in exercise class and for working at home. Although he is now in the process of retiring as a sole practitioner architect, his work day these past 12 years was always as disciplined as if he had to show up at a downtown office. He always dressed appropriately to be on the job, allowed himself one hour for lunch, and worked various lunch time gatherings or breakfast groups into his schedule so that he was not isolated from male friends and colleagues.

The benefits of these exercise classes reached far beyond cardiovascular fitness. He overheard the young mothers talking about the need for teachers for Vacation Bible School and before he knew it, he had been signed up to teach first graders for two weeks. He loved teaching the children and has participated now for 12 years. He has made many new friends and has found he has a real gift for working with children. He now mentors young boys at an urban school.

He is also enormously popular with the ladies because he is thoughtful, respectful and courtly (I‘m not jealous because I know what he looks like in exercise clothes). Their husbands or family may forget a special day, but not my husband. One year he hired an artist/caricaturist to come to the class to draw the instructors. The artist stayed after class to do caricatures of class members and their children. That year each woman got a balloon tied to a banana with a ribbon from him. Other years, each woman has received flowers on Valentine's day. A few years ago a woman told me she was a new widow when my husband gave her the only flowers she got for Valentine’s Day.

He has had T-shirts screened that say, "I work out with [his name]--someone has to do it" which many of the women wear in class. His own shirts proclaim, "I work out with 50 women; my mom didn't raise any dummies." He remembers birthdays and gives the discouraged a hug or a funny card. A few special friends have even received T-shirts screened with one of his paintings.

I'm sure there would be more men in the class (he's still the only one) if they only knew how much fun my husband has and how much the ladies love him. As I write this, he is at aerobics class filling in for an injured instructor.

P.S. Just so you know: when I retired in 2000 I joined the class too. However, the exercise area (fellowship hall) is slab-on-grade, and not a forgiving surface for impact exercises, so after two years I left (and have gained 14 pounds).

Links to other Monday Memories
1. Pet 2. Shelli, 3. Kimmy, 4. Courtney, 5. Kdubs, 6. Melanie, 7. Joan, who is writing about her mom and it happens to be Monday, 8. Rowan, 9. Jen, 10. Amy 11. Renee, 12. OceanLady
(If you participate, leave your link in the comments and I'll post it here)



Click here for the Monday Memories code

Click here for Shelli's blog

Trackbacks, pings, and comment links are accepted and encouraged!





Post in the comments if you want to be on the MM blogroll!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful story!
I sympathize with the weight gain as well, I
got dumped off a horse this fall and have a fracture in my back,
which while healing does not allow for the vigorous exercise I am used to!
Wonderful and on THOSE days not so wonderful husbands are truly a blessing!

Kimmy said...

Shelli's email...shellimil@comcast.net
I was able to load her page just now. Maybe you can try again.

I'll be back later to read your memory. Thanks for stopping by today!

Courtney said...

How fun! Sounds like a great man you have there :)

Courtney said...

Oh, and my MM is up now- I got off to a later start this morning than usual

Melanie said...

Loved your story! Your hubby sounds like quite the compassionate soul! :) Lucky lady!

Jen said...

Wow! He sounds so cool, you are one lucky lady :-) He sounds so funny! Thanks for the insight into your husband's days.

Mine is up!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful man! Every woman needs to know that there are men like that out there.

Thanks for stopping by my blog too, I'm off to add you to my MM list!

Renee Nefe said...

He sounds like a good catch.

My memory is up too http://lillyput.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Sounds like your life is very colorful. :) Your husband should put a picture of you on one of his shirts. ;)