19 years ago today, on Labor Day Weekend in 1991, I went to the hardware store to buy a bolt for my lawn mower. There was a bolt missing from one side of the handle, so that it kept falling down and making it difficult to push the mower. I had been dealing with the faulty handle all summer, and that day I came to the end of my frustration quotient. I went inside, got a pair of pliers, and took the bolt off the other side. I jumped in the car and drove to the hardware store to buy another bolt.
When I walked in, there was this cute guy standing there talking to the store manager, who just happened to be my brother-in-law. So, the cute guy helped me find a bolt to match the one I had in my hand. He was very charming, and kept up a conversation with me while we looked for the right bolt. After I made my purchase, I went home, repaired the mower, and finished cutting the grass.
But, I couldn’t get that guy out of my head. I went in the house and called the hardware store. I asked my brother-in-law “what is that guy’s name that waited on me today?” and he told me. I asked, “Is he married?” and my brother-in-law said no. So, I said, “Well, give him my phone number and tell him if he is interested in going out to dinner to give me a call.” And he did.
I cried when we sold that lawn mower.