Twenty-Three Great Years Is A Good Start

Before I even paid any attention to Russ Lange we went to Hawaii together. Well, not actually together. I was there for a sales meeting and he had been flown in last minute to fix a new product he had invented that the company was introducing to us. See, the owner of the company did not think through how hard it would be to air ship a big new prototype of a machine to Hawaii and make sure that it would work perfectly right out of the box.

The owner of the company knew that when he introduced a new product to the sales force if it did not work we would not try and sell it. A day before the meeting when he went to plug it in and it did not work his answer was to call Russ who told him what to do. The owner did not like that idea that he would have to touch a circuit so instead told Russ, who was in the middle of studying for his Master’s exams for electrical engineering, to get on a plane and fly to Hawaii. It took Russ all of five minutes to push the circuits back in the mother board, or some other easy thing and it worked perfectly.

The sales force loved the new product and as a reward to Russ for not just flying out to fix it, but for inventing it in the first place, we gave him a snorkeling trip. I just happen to be on that same snorkeling adventure. Underwater I had no idea that Russ was following me around, but I should have caught on. It was just the beginning of our travels around the world together.

Twenty-three years ago today I did the smartest thing I ever did and married Russ Lange. I don’t know if he had any idea what he had gotten himself into but every time I turn around he is there to make sure all my circuits are working so I can go off and shine.

Russ is not one to want any glory, but he deserves it all. His thoughtfulness, foresight, kindness and wickedly brilliant mind are just a few of the traits I love about him. I count my lucky stars that the owner of our company we both worked for was lazy enough not to bother pushing the circuits into the mother board himself. I don’t know if Russ would have been brave enough to chase me if he could not do it underwater. Thank goodness I eventually turned around and noticed the hero who was right behind me.