Published: December 18, 2008 11:10 am      

Golden Valentines

Neighbors

Click here to see the Feb. 10, 2008 Neighbors section in its entirety


By Bobbie Poynter/Community Editor

Lovebirds.

I am so envious.

After sitting for a few minutes with the ‘golden’ couples in this edition, I’ve come to realize there is one great milestone I have absolutely no chance of ever reaching.

I consider myself lucky to have even reached the half century in age. I can’t begin to fathom what it would be like to be married to the same person for longer than I’ve been alive.

I suppose it’s still possible. After all, how hard could it be? All I would need to do is find the man of my dreams - my soul mate - within the next few days, fly to Vegas for a quick ceremony, and then survive past 100 years old. Piece of cake!

Right . . .

Truth be told, with over 50 years together under your belt, there must have been some really knock-down, drag-out fights. At least, with my personality, I could pretty much guarantee it.

So how do you explain the fact that not one of the couples I interviewed could remember ever having a big fight?

Being the analytical person I am, I just had to sit down and ponder that one. I do believe I figured out the answer.

I see it like this. A mother goes through extreme pain during childbirth, but when it’s over, all she can see is that beautiful new life she just brought into the world. Of course, later on, in talking with her girlfriends, she’ll swear she’ll never go through that again. Then she realizes her little child needs a playmate and goes through it all over again, oblivious to the now buried memories of her pain in delivery.

And life goes on.

I am completely amazed at how these proud men and women have allowed the hard times and bad memories to simply float away with the wind, preferring to live in the here and now. What they remember is the laughter, passion and great accomplishments they made during their decades of partnership. They speak proudly of their beautiful children and of their children’s children, and the pure joy the new generations have brought to their lives.

This section of the Times-Tribune is all about neighbors, and of all the issues so far, I personally feel that today’s edition is the embodiment of what this section is all about.

These couples have been our neighbors for many, many years. They were our waitresses, nurses, plumbers, policemen, cooks, storekeepers, teachers, soldiers and preachers. We never spoke of them as ‘that woman’ or ‘that man’ down the street. They were always the couple or the family down the street. They were the couple in the apartment down the hall. They were the couple that owns the store or runs the motel. They were the neighbors that came running over to help when your basement flooded.

Their stories and their great deeds will live on in the memories of their children and the thousands of people whose lives they touched over the last half-century.

But what about today, you ask? Oh, yes, these golden valentines are still touching and enriching the lives of everyone around them to this very day. The only difference is that the people’s lives they are enriching now are waitresses, nurses, plumbers, policemen ... you get the idea.

Before I forget, I would like to say a special hello to a few more Golden Valentine couples: to Mattie and Virgil Lipscomb, of Corbin, married 60 years; to Jack and Georgia Gibson of Corbin, married 60 years as of Dec. 14, and who have two children, one grandchild, and two great-grandchildren; to Allen and Joyce Dizney of Corbin, married 56 years, now with two children, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren; and to Betty and Ed Smith of Corbin, who have two children and will soon celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary.

I would like to make a toast to all the Golden Valentines throughout the Tri-County, wherever you may be. You are my heroes.

Bobbie Poynter is the Community Editor at the Times-Tribune. She can be reached at bpoynter@thetimestribune.com