“It had to be done. I had to change my ways to win over the heart of sweet ol’ Linda Brown.”
This story starts off the same way any other day would for me. Getting up for work, looking in the mirror, taking a shower, and walking to work. But that morning was different, I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror. My eyes saw what you would expect, a tall, skinny, dark skin, making a living in Dogtown, Alabama. But that day I looked harder in mirror as I moved my hand through my curly black hair. I saw something different, what I saw a disgrace to mankind. I wouldn’t of felt and saw if it weren’t for Linda Brown. You see, I met sweet ol’ Linda Brown the day before.
The day before, I spent my day off from work strolling through park. As I was walking through the park, I saw this sweet ol’ lil’ thang on the park bench. She was small, thin, had long luscious black hair with very light skin for an African American. So, naturally, I went on over and introduced myself. I was very astonished as she turned me down in a heartbeat. “I know about you Ernie Sanders! You lie and cheat your way through everything! You really think a women like myself would settle down with you? Ha, what a joke. You better change your ways boy.”
I shrugged off the memory of Linda Brown and continued on with my day.
I was having a normal day at work, a normal coffee break with a colleague asking if there was any coffee left. I noticed there wasn’t much left so like normal day I was gonna say there wasn't any left and save the last bit of coffee for myself. But at that moment I thought about Linda Brown, and said “yes, there is still some coffee left.”
Linda Brown was the most beautiful lil’ thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on. If I ever wanted a shot with her, I’d have to change my ways. From now that’s what I was gonna do.
The next morning I set out on my walk to work. To get to work I had to go through the park again; and sure enough Linda Brown was sitting on that park bench again. Instead of doing the usual slick move to pick girls, I just said a simple hello and continued on my way. She didn’t look up me. Days went on, I did the same walk and hello. After a while, she did start to look up and say hi back. I was even starting to be a bit nicer around the office. Some mornings I brought in donuts or bagels. A colleague would say something and I wouldn’t give a smart ass remark. We were all finally getting along. It appeared the hard wasn’t trying to change my ways, but instead it was getting Linda to notice I changed my whole life. Not just saying hello.
Then one day I was going to say something different and try to get a conversation going. However, when I reached the park on my way to work she wasn’t there. I had to skip my daily hello with Linda and go to work.
When I got to work I was happily surprised to see Linda at work. I kept saying to myself “why was she there?” I wasn’t the only person to notice someone new around the office. I asked around, and it turned out she took a job there. It was perfect! A blessing from God! Linda could finally see how I changed my life around, not just around her at the park, but at the office too! Time went on and life was good. I could interact with Linda, she interacted with me. She saw me being nice around the other colleagues. It was all good. I finally got enough confidence and courage to ask out Linda. When I asked her she said no saying she already had a boyfriend. Luckily for me my confidence was so high I didn’t believe her. I thought she was testing me. Seeing if I thought I didn’t have a shot with her, I would go back to my old ways. I didn’t.
I continued being nice and friendly towards everyone. Especially to sweet ol’ Linda Brown. Linda and I had lunch a couple times a week, I was nice to her, the waiters we saw, our colleagues, I was nice to everyone. It felt good being nice, I wasn’t doing it to impress Linda anymore. I enjoyed being nice to people. We continued hanging out and having lunch. Still no sight of a boyfriend. It turned I was right. She was testing me. So I decided to ask her out one more time, but the setting had to be right.
I was thinking we could go see an opera at the Fort Payne Opera House, stay the night at Bay Springs Country Inn and Campground, followed by nice time walking and sightseeing through DeSoto State Park. I was still swaying back and forth on whether or not to do this. I didn’t even know if she would like that. Ultimately, I came to the decision of asking her out with that date in mind only because I’m serious about this girl.
It took me about week to get tickets and plan for everything. I waited until be both got off to ask her out. Neither of us drove to work because we both lived so close which was good incase I needed to walk with her for a little bit and talk before I ask her out.
We both walked out through the front door and left through the parking lot. She usually let me walk her home, so this wasn’t unusual. I waited til we got to the park to ask because I thought it would be a good place to do it. We got to the park and it had a perfect scenery. Big green trees, beautiful flowers all around, blue jays flopping around, and to top it off it had a beautiful sunset giving the perfect lighting. We reached the halfway point of the park and I couldn’t hold it in any longer. “I know I’ve asked before, but I really like you. I’ve changed for you. I’ll change even more just to get you. So it goes, will you go out with me?
“I would like nothing more. What’d you have in mind?”
“I was thinking we could go see an opera at the Fort Payne Opera House, stay the night at Bay Springs Country Inn and Campground, followed by nice time walking and sightseeing through DeSoto State Park. What do you think?”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Linda, I’ll you Tuesday at 6:30.”
“Pefect!”
I picked up Linda on Tuesday like we had planned. Now let me tell you. That was one hell of a first date.
Linda and I continued to go on dates. Romantic ones, fun, adventurous ones, we went on all kinds of dates. Our time together was crazy, awesome! Naw indescribably awesome!
Time went on, we kept dating, all seemed right seemed right in the world. Then two years later we got married. Then three years after that we had a beautiful baby boy. That baby boy was you Foster.
“Foster, do you know why I’m telling you this story? Do you know what I want you to learn from this story?”
“No, dad, uh uhm I mean no sir.”
“Son, always remember: good things happen to good people, and sometimes for those good things to happen you need to change for the better.”
“Oh like how you changed for mom!”
“That’s right, son. That’s what I wanted you to get from this story. Good things happen to good people. I was a good person, but to get that good thing, Linda, your mom, I had to change for the better.”