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.