Reminisce Extra – September 2019

BACK IN TIME

50 REMINISCE.COM * SEPTEMBER 2019

SONIA HACHE/SHUTTERSTOCK

A

t nursing school

in the 1950 s, we

attended classes all

year long for three

years. We were

allowed to be engaged, but we

couldn’t marry until the final

four months of the program.

Tony and I were to marry

in mid-May and three of my

classmates had scheduled their

weddings for around the same

time. The four of us decided

that our “something blue”

would be a pretty blue garter

that each woman could pass

along to the next bride. I was

the last in line.

SOMETHING BLUE

STUCK LIKE SOMETHINGGLUE

The wedding went by in a flash.

Make’emlaugh:

REMINISCE.COM/

SUBMIT-A-STORY

BY MARGE DODERO • SEAL BEACH,CA

Last

Laugh

I weighed 106 in those

days and the women before

me were all a bit heftier. So

by the time it got to me, the

garter was so stretched that

I had to hike it up to my

thigh to get it to stay in place.

My wedding dress had a

hoop skirt worn with lacy

pantaloons underneath, and

my shoes had stylish bows.

This fashion combination

proved to be my undoing.

During the Mass, I stood

up from kneeling and felt

the garter slip down my leg.

I tried kicking it loose, but it

caught on the bow of my shoe.

“What’s wrong?” Tony

whispered. I shook my head

and tried to concentrate on

the ceremony.

We said our vows and

kneeled again as the priest

continued with the blessing.

All I could think about was

that garter clinging to my

foot. I didn’t want to walk

down the aisle and have

everyone see it. So I reached

down to grab it—and I heard

my mother catch her breath.

Tony looked at me in shock.

“What the hell are you

doing?!” he asked.

“Trying to get this garter off

my shoe,” I whispered back.

“You’re pushing up your

hoopskirt in the back now

andshowing everyone those

cutepanties.”

Suddenly, the thought of our

guestsseeing the little blue

garter didn’t seem so

bad by comparison.

Unfortunately, my

troubles weren’t over.

Following tradition, I took

a few of the flowers from the

wedding bouquet to place

in front of the Virgin Mary.

Determined to keep the

garter hidden as I walked

to the statue, I nearly fell—

twice—when I stepped on the

hem of my dress. The entire

congregation seemed to gasp

with each near miss. By this

point, I hated that darn garter.

Finally, leaving the church,

I lifted my skirt and kicked

the thing as far from me as

possible. When he saw me

do that, Tony knew he was in

for an interesting life.

This year we celebrated

59 years together. •

MARGE MADE

a unique fashion

statement at

her wedding.