A few words about the incomparable Sue Riley
Every once a while in this space, someone will bring up my wife, usually with a "tsk, tsk'' practically audible in their typing fans.
"Does she know what is going on here in the blogosphere?'' someone will ask. Or, "Does your wife agree with your position on X, Y, Z?'' I'll read. As if I've got a whole bunch of secret views on the world that I have left my wife in the dark about for nigh onto the nearly three decades we've known each other.
Anybody who knows me knows that I rarely have an opinion (or even a thought, for that matter) that goes unspoken or unwritten. This is, I realize, its own kind of burden to bear for my friends and colleagues. But Sue has taken it up quite nicely.
She's a Baptist preacher's daughter, and by the time we met, she was of the opinion that the last sort of guy she'd want to marry was a man with ministerial aspirations. Sue had seen enough of ministers and had no desire to lead the life of a minister's wife. She got involved with me only after she was able to assure herself that I wasn't going to be "your typical minister type.'' She got that right. Only the "type'' I turned out to be was not everybody's cup of tea. Believe it or not, at one point in the late '70s, I was considered something of an obnoxious ass in some circles.
And when we got engaged, classmates came to her and said, "You are such a sweet, gentle, lovely woman. How can you possibly consider marrying ... that?'' And Sue would like them square in the eye and say, "It's a nasty job, but somebody has to do it.'' So fret yourselves not about my blushing bride. Sue got over blushing a long, long time ago.
"Does she know what is going on here in the blogosphere?'' someone will ask. Or, "Does your wife agree with your position on X, Y, Z?'' I'll read. As if I've got a whole bunch of secret views on the world that I have left my wife in the dark about for nigh onto the nearly three decades we've known each other.
Anybody who knows me knows that I rarely have an opinion (or even a thought, for that matter) that goes unspoken or unwritten. This is, I realize, its own kind of burden to bear for my friends and colleagues. But Sue has taken it up quite nicely.
She's a Baptist preacher's daughter, and by the time we met, she was of the opinion that the last sort of guy she'd want to marry was a man with ministerial aspirations. Sue had seen enough of ministers and had no desire to lead the life of a minister's wife. She got involved with me only after she was able to assure herself that I wasn't going to be "your typical minister type.'' She got that right. Only the "type'' I turned out to be was not everybody's cup of tea. Believe it or not, at one point in the late '70s, I was considered something of an obnoxious ass in some circles.
And when we got engaged, classmates came to her and said, "You are such a sweet, gentle, lovely woman. How can you possibly consider marrying ... that?'' And Sue would like them square in the eye and say, "It's a nasty job, but somebody has to do it.'' So fret yourselves not about my blushing bride. Sue got over blushing a long, long time ago.
posted by Michael Riley at 10:01 AM
4 Comments:
Obviously your wife saw something wonderful within you, that others did not see. That happens.
My father was not crazy about my fiance, saying that if I was ever in trouble, my choice for a husband would not be there for me. Years later, when I was recovering from cancer, and my husband stood by me through it all with great grace and humor (thank God), my father apologized, and said he had read by choice of a husband incorrectly.
So sometimes, the fiance/wife just knows the goodness in a man, that others just can't see, at first.
Saint Sue?
"And when we got engaged, classmates came to her [Mrs. Riley] and said, 'You are such a sweet, gentle, lovely woman. How can you possibly consider marrying ... that?'" -- Reverend Michael Riley (quoting others)
And to think, these same folks also told your (now) wife that, "You are considering marrying who? Riley? Mark my words: 25 years from now you will still be slaving away at a job that you hate just to be able to help pay the RENT on the APARTMENT that you and your family will be living in. It's not like Michael Riley will ever make enough to buy a home for you and your kids."
25 years later ... I guessed you showed them, Riley, huh?
Wow! Spooks! Where does such bitterness come from? Is it genetic or did the nuns beat it into you?
I'm sure all of the Catholics reading your posts are very happy to know that the Catholic church is so well represented by such a decent, compassionate guy.
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