10 Year Anniversary: Mixtapes

Note: My bride and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage in September. I've known her 18 years. That's 3 years more than I have not known her. In the weeks that we approach our 10 year anniversary, I'll be posting mental photographs of the development of our relationship.

The summer between my 8th and 9th grade years I decided to grow out my hair and wear baggy pants. I had just concluded my "gangta rap" phase and was transitioning into my "grunge" phase. Kurt Cobain had just died and grunge music had taken the world by storm. Although Tammie grew up only 5 minutes from where I grew up, she was a cowgirl. I have vivid memories of her wearing a pink Wranglers and boots to school.

I tell you that to give context to this next mental photograph. Tammie and I both made varsity choir in '96-'97. We were in the choir room and we traded mixtapes. I gave her a tape primarily consisting of punk/hard rock. She gave me a tape of country music. My favorite song on the tape she gave me was Go Rest High on That Mountain by Vince Gill. To this day, Vince is my favorite vocalist in the country genre.

10 Year Anniversary: The Meet-Cute

My earliest memory of Tammie goes something like this. I was 15 years old and a freshman at J. Frank Dobie High School. As I was getting my books out of my locker this young lady walks up to me and says, "Hi. Are you Coby Cagle?" I respond, "Uh...Yes." "I'm Emily Moore's little sister. Nice to meet you." You see, my sister Mandi was best friends with Emily. The problem with that interaction was that Tammie didn't tell me her name. I remember going home that day and frantically searching my sister's yearbook from the year before to figure it out.

My bride and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage in September. I've known her 18 years. That's 3 years more than I have not known her. In the weeks that we approach our 10 year anniversary, I'll be posting mental photographs of the development of our relationship.

Choir Banquet 1996