Thursday, August 27, 2009

Another Love Story

I love The Price is Right.  Correction: I used to love The Price Right.  Back when Bob Barker was the host and my great grandmotherdrome would sit and watch with me.  Back when we ate blackberry pie with milk poured over the top.  Back when gasoline was under a buck.  Man did I love guessing the prices.

When I found out Bob Barker was retiring, I flew to Hollywood with my friend E to see a taping of Price.  In a story that's best told in person with me holding out my hands like a begging Oliver Twist, we didn't make the cut in the line and my dreams were dashed.  When Drew Carey started hosting, I stopped watching. 

I saw Bob Barker's autobiography, "Priceless Memories," at the library recently and couldn't pass it up.  In this unlikely place, I found a wedding gem:

"Dorothy Jo's parents said they would have a nice wedding for us in Springfield, one with our friends and all the trimmings, if we wanted.  Or, they said, they would just give us that money.
'Which do you want?' they asked.
And Dorothy Jo and I said in unison, 'We want the money.'
We got on a train and headed to St. Louis.  I had a hotel reservation in that city, and when we arrived, we went through the yellow pages, found a minister, and went to his home to be married.  ... It was January 12, 1945, and Dorothy Jo wore a red dress. I still have it.  She looked great, and both of us were ecstatically happy."

Source

They married right after Bob got his wings, just as many other young couples during WWII.  I love that they went for the money to build their home together.  I love that they took a train to the big city.  I love that they found the minister in the phone book.  I especially love that she wore red.  But most of all, I love how an incredibly simple wedding, made them so "ecstatically happy."

And that's my nice little pick-me-up for the day!

No comments: