Opposites attract
Colleen Varley Joss, BSED '90, and Chris Joss, BSC '90
Editor's Note: Colleen and Chris were the only couple that submitted two versions (his and hers!) of how they met. Here we share his story.
By Chris Joss
Another beautiful spring day in Athens, and I was running late for class.
There she was walking toward Nelson (for lunch, I suppose): the cutest girl I had ever seen. Dressed in cut-off green army pants and the customary tie-dye shirt, I knew right then I wanted to get to know this girl. Not wanting to be late for class I figured I would look for her tomorrow at lunch and talk with her. For the rest of spring quarter I looked for her, but I never did see her again.
I thought about her a lot over the summer, wondering what could have happened had I asked her out that day I saw her. Not knowing whether or not I’d ever see her again, I chalked it up as a missed opportunity.
Before I knew it, fall quarter was about to start, and I was back in Athens.
It was the first day of classes, and as I sat in Political Science 101 in Bentley Hall waiting for the class to start, who walks in and sits right behind me? It was the cute blonde from the previous year. If that wasn't fate, I don't know what is.
I never missed that class. No matter how bad I felt, I always made it to Poli Sci 101 just to see Colleen. We talked some in class here and there, and if we saw each other out, but I still hadn't asked her out yet.
Then one night at the Crystal, I saw her and we started talking when her roommate came up. She introduced me to her, and her roommate said, "This is the guy with the pretty eyes you have been talking about all the time."
I was in!!! I bought her a drink and asked her to play the driving game, Outrun. I told her the loser would pay for our first date, and she said OK. ...
In March 1994 we got engaged; in August 1994, we bought our first home and our first dog, which we named Bentley. Of course, we named him after Bentley Hall. Then we married in December 1994.
We now have four beautiful children, Devin (10), Kirsten (8), Aaron (4) and Braden (2), and are living in Poland, Ohio, near Youngstown.
Sadly, five weeks before writing this to you, we had to put Bentley to sleep due to cancer; it was a big blow to our family. He was a constant reminder of our beginning, mainly due to his name, but also because he had been with us three months before we were married and our whole married life. Bentley was a big part of our family.
I could not imagine what my life would be like, nor do I want to, if I hadn't attended Ohio University and met my lovely wife. She means the world to me, and I would be lost without her.
I need to say thank you to Ohio University and Athens, for affording me the opportunity to meet the love of my life, and get a great education at the same time.
I will never forget my time there, and thanks to The Ohio University, I have gotten to experience a great life, great times and a special love with the most beautiful person in the world, my wife, Colleen.
Back to her story.
Posted 11-02-07
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