Dear Stephen King,
I want to thank you for something. No, it’s not for writing tales that make the hair on my neck stand on end. And, no, not for the inspiration you provide for my own writing. I want to thank you for introducing me to my wife, Dawn.
Back in 2000, after finishing college in December 1999, I started an online posting board about your work with the intention of making friends with fellow Stephen King fans. It worked. But in the process, I also fell in love with one of the regulars who started posting.
I had my regular posters on the board, who I’d gotten to know and we became good friends. These friends included Paula from West Virginia, Debra in North Carolina and Ardette from Maine, among others. We had great conversations about your books, films, and trivia and about life outside your world. We exchanged photos, had online chats and even talked to some of those friends on the phone.
But there was this shy poster. I didn’t know the name of the person. The person went by kit-o. The person was intriguing. Her posts also were intriguing and well thought out. Eventually I found out the person’s name was Dawn. I wanted to get to know her better. Even then I was falling in love. I know it’s weird to say that because I only knew this woman by what she posted and the little information she provided.
It took me some time to ask for her e-mail address. Then it took almost as long for Dawn to give me her e-mail. I was elated to have some other outlet to contact Dawn other than the online posting forum. I saw the possibilities as endless.
To cut a long story short, we finally got to email each other in early 2001. Instant messaging followed in March. Guess what day was our first online messaging chat? It was on her birthday night. I’d sent her an e-greeting the day before, which made me nervous. I didn’t want to seem too forward. You should have seen the time I took to choose an e-greeting before emailing it. Anyway, on her birthday night, I sent her an email asking her to get instant messenger. As I sent the email, she was already downloading the Yahoo program. Coincidence? I think not. We spent hours chatting online that first night. It was like chatting with a long, lost friend and we were catching up. It was quite an experience, one I still hold dear to my heart. It was unforgettable. The following night, a Saturday, we did the same thing, chatting all night.
On Sunday we chatted again during the afternoon. This time I slyly gave her my phone number, hoping maybe, just maybe, she’d give me hers. She did! Then I made a phone date for that Sunday night. You wouldn’t believe how nervous I was as I dialed the number. My fingers shook and my heart was thudding. Finally, the voice that I’d only imagined for eight months said, “Hello?” The barking of a dog (her sheltie Duffy) followed the sound of her voice.
We were on the phone for hours and hours. And she had to work the next day. Still, we couldn’t seem to get off the phone. It was as if we’d known each other for years and were picking up the conversation again.
Things sped up after that. We continued our phone conversations on a daily basis. Then in April she flew from Maryland to San Antonio. I’ll never forget the scent of her perfume as she opened the front door to the Riverwalk Inn. It was heavenly. She had a shy smile on her face and wore a pretty dress. We spent three days in San Antonio.
There was another visit on Memorial Day weekend. That turned out to be a pivotal visit. After those three days and some discussion, she made the decision to move to Texas. She moved to Texas several months later. Now we were together. None of this long distance stuff.
To cut the story short again (sorry Steve, this can’t be like “IT” or “The Stand”), we got married on July 27, 2002. Where? Well, in San Antonio, of course, at The Little Church of La Villita. It was a quaint and intimate wedding. The way we wanted it.
After living in Texas for awhile, we moved to Holland, Michigan, where we are today. This is her hometown. A place of three-and-a-half seasons, beauty, and comfort. A place where we get to live and enjoy our lives together.
I don’t say this much, Steve, but I feel blessed to have met and married Dawn Permesang. Think about it. What are the chances that online, she’d pick my, MY, online posting forum? I’m sure there were countless ones out there. After all, you are prolific and one of the most popular storytellers of our time. Yet she chose my online board, the one with about 10 to 15 regular posters. I guess you’d say the chances of her ending up at my online posting board were in the millions against it.
Today it is eleven years of marriage. We have three kids and one cat. She’s a homemaker and I teach English as an adjunct instructor at a community college and write short stories in my spare time. We still read and reread your work and watch your movies. I just read Doctor Sleep and thought it was one of your best.
I’ve wanted to drop you a line about this for some time now, Steve. I want to thank you for playing an inadvertent but intricate role in helping me meet my wife, the intelligent woman with the beautiful, soft, brown eyes and the capacity for such warmth and love, the one with the tender smile. I love that gal.
Your Constant Reader,
Roel Garcia
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