Here, then, is the story of my proposal of marriage to Deborah.
My relationship with Deb started out as a long distance relationship, her in New York and I in Chicago. We would see each other every other weekend in either city. As it happened the next time we would see each other after I had purchased the ring would be in Boston at our friends Kate and Ernie’s wedding. I didn’t want to propose in Boston. Boston has no special significance to our relationship. So the proposal had to wait until two weeks later when Deb visited to Chicago. I later learned Kate had offered to harangue me about proposing. I believe, “Don’t you dare!” was the response.
I wanted to propose somewhere unmistakably Chicago. Various landmarks were considered and I decided on Buckingham Fountain. While she’d driven past the fountain a few times she’d never actually been there and I thought it would be nice for the proposal to take place in a place where that would be the main, if not only, memory of the place. I also tried desperately to think of alternate locations in case it rained but was unable to think of any indoor locations that thrilled. I considered postponing the proposal if I couldn’t do it at the fountain but the next day we were due at a family gathering and the day after that Deb would fly to California to visit her parents. So that day, July 7th, really was a perfect opportunity. Plans in place, I mentioned to Deb several nights before her arrival that we should have dinner someplace nice downtown after she landed.
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