She’s smart, charming, and genuinely nice. Is this what love really feels like?
Some might ponder whether true love at first sight is just a quaint idea or something that can actually occur. I certainly hadn’t given it much thought when I was 13. At that age, music was my main focus. I played keyboards in various school bands, dreaming of rock stardom. My tastes ranged from Emerson, Lake & Palmer to Yes, but my sister and I were also huge fans of Elton John. So when he announced a concert in our area, we pleaded with our mom to take us, and she obliged, loading us, along with my sister’s friends, into our Ford family wagon. Among them was her younger friend, Susan, whom I had yet to meet.
Sitting in the back of the car, I was immediately captivated. Susan was tall and striking, with long brown hair and expressive brown eyes. Her laughter was infectious, and the conversation flowed seamlessly. I was love-struck, momentarily forgetting the concert we were headed to.
Once we arrived at the Fabulous Forum, I positioned myself next to her, though my mind occasionally drifted from Elton’s performance to thoughts of her. She sang along to “Benny and the Jets” and “Crocodile Rock,” while I wondered if she felt the same spark I did or if my awkwardness—braces, glasses, and being shorter than her—was a turn-off.
Back in school, I made every effort to cross paths with her, even though she was a grade below me. I would scout the courtyard at lunchtime and invent reasons to talk to her, frequently tying these conversations to Elton John’s music. I once even surprised her with a new release on its launch day. Our phone chats became longer until someone in the house would inevitably tell us to get off the line.
As time went on, my feelings for Susan deepened. She was not only intelligent and funny, but we also shared a passion for music. Eventually, I mustered the courage to confess my feelings. I visited her home, pouring out my heart about our destined romance, only to be kindly told that she didn’t share those feelings but hoped we could remain friends. I was devastated but clung to the hope that this was just a temporary hurdle.
Over the next few years, our contact dwindled. I continued to perform with various bands while she shone in her high school choir. We occasionally shared our life updates during our phone calls. By the time I turned 16, my family moved to Westchester near LAX, while hers went north to Westlake Village, making our chances of reconnecting slim. Yet, fate smiled upon us again when Susan and her sister visited our area one summer day.
As she stepped out of the car, I experienced that same thrill from three years earlier. I now sported contact lenses instead of glasses, my braces were off, and I had gained a few inches in height. To my astonishment, she mentioned the possibility of hanging out. I made sure that our first date happened swiftly, which included ice skating at Topanga Plaza and dinner at Carl’s Jr. She was still captivating and revealed a fun side, playfully skating rings around me despite previously claiming she wasn’t good at it. Our evening ended with our first kiss, something I’d envisioned since that Elton concert.
Fast forward to Sunday, which will mark 50 years since that memorable night in 1974. In the years that followed, Susan and I have played music together, started businesses, and traveled the globe. We’ve celebrated over four decades of marriage, raised two amazing children, and now enjoy being grandparents. Throughout it all, I feel blessed to experience that initial love-at-first-sight feeling every time I see her.
The author is a semi-retired adviser in the audio and musical instruments industry, with a background as a studio musician and product designer. He and Susan, both hailing from Los Angeles, have a rich history of making music together and co-founded Line 6, a guitar products company. They currently reside in Ventura County, where they still enjoy playing music at home.