I Feel Older Today

As per custom, I took the dog out ASAP after awakening and then started to troll the news sites when I saw that Soupy Sales had died.

Now for many of us on the board, Soupy was a childhood diversion and good for a few laughs, but I have a different story.

Back in 1976, I was a student at Marshall University studying journalism and had already been working full time for the small town paper where I grew up, so I had a little more experience than the normal "Woodward and Bernstein" wannabes.

Because of my experience (and the fact I liked beer), I became a good friend of the managing editor and often got first shot at assignements. Back in those days, I was struggling to find a writing style, but was a natural photographer and I always trolled the photoboard for assignments.

Anyway, I'm in Mike's office one day and I look up and there is a tag for the Alumni of the Year award and it lists a very good looking reporter and no photog. Being a 20 year old male, I jumped at the tag and set upon a plan to make the award ceremonies a date with the young female reporter. None other than Soupy Sales was being honored--this was going to be a great "two-fer", getting to know Becky outside of class and meeting Soupy Sales.

I met her at the Alumni Center and we were escorted to a table out of the way to wait for her interview and my photo ops. Normal first date talking and nerves over meeting a celebrity when Soupy comes walking over with one of the biggest smiles you could imagine and sits right down and begins to talk about his days at Marshall and taking some journalism classes.

We talked with him for a half hour before those in charge of the dinner finally had to pry him away from the table. He entertained us with stories of his times at Marshall and entertwined them seamlessly with current stories and was probably the best celebrity interview I've ever been a part of through the years.

She and I went out a few times before the end of the school year and saw each other a few times during the summer and stayed in touch when she returned to school in the fall and I went to work full time for that same small town paper.

Fast forward eight years and I had changed careers and she jumped fields of study and was finishing her doctorate at Ohio State when we got reaquainted.

We've now been married almost 25 years with two great kids and I truly have to thank Soupy Sales for getting us together 33 years ago.

Other than family and close friends, I feel I have the most to mourn about his passing.