佚名/Anonymous
In the spring of 1980，I had been following one particular guy around school for a month.I just did not have the nerve to go up and talk to him.An embarrassing situation,from that winter,truly prevented me from approaching him.
He had been a starter for the junior varsity basketball team and I was a cheerleader,I had many opportunities to see this gorgeous guy in action.That is,if I wore my glasses.You see,I am as blind as a bat and was too vain to wear them.
As Terry sank a half court shot at the last second,this extremely near-sighted cheerleader,misidentified the hero and began cheering for the wrong guy.As the crowd started chuckling,my face turned crimson as Terry walked by me to get to the locker room.Months later,he only knew me as the dingy cheerleader who could not even get his name right when he hit a great shot!
However,my best friend attended church with Terry.Shirley decided to play matchmaker.She not only invited me to a church-sponsored skating party,but also literally pushed me in his parents car to ride to the skating rink.Although the skating rink was 15 miles away,very few words were spoken.As I sank down in that backseat,I just wanted to keep sinking.This had truly been a huge mistake.
After we arrived at the skating rink,things did not get any better.Each couple skate I hoped and prayed that Terry would ask me.He didn’t!After about 3 couple skates,I decided enough was enough!So I took turns skating with his 2 best friends.As the last call for a couple skate came over the rink’s loud speakers,Terry finally skated somewhat awkwardly and stood beside the rails with me.
“I guess you wonder why I have not asked you to couple skate?”were his first words to me.Trying ever so hard not to look in those big beautiful brown eyes that made me melt,I answered nonchalantly and dishonestly,“No,not really.”
This guy not only ignored my tart reply,but would also win my heart with the following reply.Casting those beautiful eyes down at his skates,he humbly remarked,“I didnt ask because I do not skate very well.If you are not afraid that I will make you fall,would you please skate with me?”This time I did look into those eyes and did melt.
As we skated hand in hand to Always and Forever,I knew my life would never be the same.I never knew a guy that actually would admit any of his faults,let alone worry about a girl to boot!I had first been attracted to his beauty on the outside（who wouldnt notice those beautiful brown eyes），but it would be his beautiful heart that made me realize how truly special he was.
I had actually found my Prince Charming.
Even though he was not riding on a handsome steed（but rented roller skates），he made me feel like Cinderella at the ball as we skated around the rink.I clung tightly to his hand-not because I was afraid of midnight-but to help keep him from falling.
When I look at our wedding pictures,my favorite is walking down the aisle as husband and wife.Most couples walk down the aisle with the bride’s hand tucked neatly in the crook of her husband’s arm.Not us!We walked down the aisle,after being pronounced man and wife,just like we had done 7 years before at that skating rink-hand-in-hand with the promise of helping keep the other one from falling.
Our children love to hear the story of how their dad did not know how to skate and asked me to hold his hand to help us keep from tumbling.But it had already been too late for their mother.Only after one look into those eyes,she had fallen-fallen in love with Prince Champing.
1980年春天，我在學校追隨一個男孩已經整整一個月了，我隻是沒有勇氣走到他的麵前和他交談。前一年冬天發生了那樣令人尷尬的事情，我就更沒有勇氣接近他了。
當時，他是三年級籃球校隊的首發隊員，而我是拉拉隊的隊長，所以我有許多機會觀看這個英俊的男孩打球。隻是，我得戴上眼鏡，要知道，我的視力很差，就像蝙蝠一樣瞎，然而我太虛榮了，不願意佩戴眼鏡。
特裏在最後一秒投籃命中半場球，我這個視力差到極點的拉拉隊隊長卻把人認錯了，並開始為另一個家夥歡呼喝彩。在場的觀眾都開始低聲輕笑，我的臉漲得通紅。這時，特裏從我身旁走了過去，進了更衣室。過了幾個月，他對我的了解僅僅是那個在他投了好球，卻把他的名字弄錯的糟糕的拉拉隊隊長。
然而，我最好的朋友常常和特裏一起去教堂做禮拜。雪莉決定充當媒人。她不但邀請我去參加教堂組織的一個溜冰派對，而且，她將我推進了特裏父母的車裏，接著車便向溜冰場開去。盡管溜冰場距離這裏有15英裏遠，然而在路上我們都沒說幾句話。一路上，我坐在車的後排，真想鑽進座位底下去，這真是一個天大的錯誤。
即使是我們到達溜冰場以後，交往還是沒有什麽起色。每當有雙人滑的時候，我都在心裏盼望並祈求特裏會過來邀請我。然而，事與願違！經過了三場雙人滑，我已經忍無可忍了！因此，我和他的兩個最好的朋友輪流滑著。在溜冰場的喇叭響起最後一輪雙人滑的通告時，特裏終於動作笨拙地溜到欄杆旁，與我站在了一起。
“我猜，你正在想我為什麽沒有邀請你和我一起雙人滑。”這是他對我說的第一句話，我竭力試著不去看他的大眼睛，那雙可以將我融化的美麗的棕色眼睛。我裝得很冷淡，還對他撒了謊：“不，我並沒有這麽想。”
他非但沒把我刻薄的回答放在心上，還用下麵這些話俘虜了我的心。他用他那雙漂亮的眼睛盯著自己的溜冰鞋，很謙虛地說道：“我之所以沒有邀請你，是因為我滑得不好。假如你不擔心我會讓你摔倒在地，你是否願意和我一起滑呢？”這一回，我看著那雙眼睛，真的被他融化了。
就在我們手牽手在《直到永遠》的歌曲聲中滑行的時候，我知道我的生活將從這一刻改變。我從未見過一個會承認自己缺點的男孩，更別說還為一個女孩擔心了。最初，我僅僅是著迷於他英俊的外表（哪個人不會注意到那雙漂亮的棕色眼睛呢），然而，還是他美麗的心靈讓我知道他是多麽特別。
最終，我找到了自己的白馬王子。
縱然他並未騎著駿馬（隻是租來的溜冰鞋），然而，在我們繞著溜冰場滑行的時候，他讓我覺得我就是舞會上的灰姑娘。我緊緊地拉著他的手——並不是因為對午夜的懼怕——而是為了幫助他，不讓他摔倒。
看著我們的結婚照片，我最鍾愛的一張是夫妻兩人沿著教堂過道朝前走的場景。大多數情況下，都是妻子優雅地用手挽著丈夫的胳膊一起從過道走過。可我們不是這樣！在宣布成為夫妻之後，我們走過過道，仿佛七年前我們在溜冰場那樣——手牽著手，許下諾言不讓對方摔倒。
我們的孩子們喜歡聽他們的爸爸不知道怎麽滑冰，讓我牽著他的手以防兩個人摔倒的故事。然而那個時候，對他們的媽媽來講為時已晚。那雙眼睛她隻看了一眼，就已經深陷其中，墜入了與白馬王子的愛河之中。
心靈小語
美好的事物是值得爭取的，從一個地方向他走近，再走近，然後微笑著緊緊地牽住對方的手，就是牽起了生命的快樂、憂傷和依托。
詞匯筆記
embarrassing[imb?r?si?]adj.令人為難的；使人尷尬的
The most embarrassing thing for women is to find another woman
wearing the same dress at a formal party.
最讓女人尷尬的是，在一個正式的聚會上發現另一個女人穿著和自己相同的衣服。
chuckle[t??kl]v.咯咯地笑；輕聲地笑
In the carriage going back to their hotel,Peter started to chuckle.
坐在返回旅館的車廂裏，彼得開始咯咯地笑起來。
nonchalantly[n?n??l?ntli]adv.冷淡地；不激動地；平靜地
Linda answered nonchalantly,“Because I only like the jam on top.”
琳達冷淡地說：“因為我隻愛吃上麵的醬啊。”
tart[tɑ:t]adj.酸的；鋒利的；尖刻的
That was a tart answer.
那是個尖刻的回答。
小試身手
我的視力很差，就像蝙蝠一樣瞎，然而我太虛榮了，不願意佩戴眼鏡。
大多數情況下，都是妻子優雅地用手挽著丈夫的胳膊一起從過道走過。
那雙眼睛她隻看了一眼，就已經深陷其中，墜入了與白馬王子的愛河之中。
短語家族
I just did not have the nerve to go up and talk to him.
have the nerve to do：有膽量做某事
……let alone worry about a girl to boot!
let alone：更不必說；聽任；不打擾