Recently on Facebook I have joined a group named Married To A Filipina - and the posting members seem to range from "I am getting ready to marry a Filipina" to "We have been married a few glorious years" and there are even some of we who have been married for a long time. So far I do believe I have the longest running success story of "I am happily married to a Filipina" on that Facebook group.
Reading all those wide ranging tales of love - I decided to share my Love Story with the group and with all my Friends. So, below I have combined two posts from the past few years and come up with this: "Bill Gray, This Is Your Life! ~ Or, How To Marry A Filipina!"
I pray my Love Story encourages others to shoot for have a long, happy Christian marriage.
Note: In the story below, to have a better view of the photos, put your cursor on the photo and click the left mouse button. After viewing, to return to the story, left click the "X" in the upper right corner of the photo page.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
On the TimesDaily Religion Forum in 2014, I had an agnostic Friend with a special fascination for the loves and life of Bill Gray. In between the barbs she held special just for me, she would take aim at the ladies who have been special in my life. So, I decided to put that issue to bed once and for all time. What women, or I should say, what nationality of women have caught my eye over the years?
How far back shall we go? In the 1st grade I had a terrific crush on a cute little blonde named Ruth Barksdale, who has stayed a friend for life. Jump forward a few years to the 8th grade and I had a crush on another cute blonde named Sue Wiley. I believe she moved away before high school.
In high school, my eye was taken by a feisty wee Irish lass named Molly McCullough. I took a class in physics - because from the classroom window on the second floor I could watch Molly's Phys Ed class. Kind of hard to study physics when all I was interested in was Molly's anatomy. Due to a lack of progress in my studies, it did not take me long to drop that class. Heck, who needed physics anyway? But, I had signed up for Latin because Molly was in that class - and I actually made it all the way through the class.
You may have noticed a lack of Asian or Hispanic names in my early romantic interests. That is because Alabama, in the 1940s/50s, had virtually no Asians nor Hispanics living there. We were all just plain old Heinz 57, distinguishable only by the European names we inherited from our long forgotten ancestors.
June 1955, high school graduation - and one week later, with my classmates, Bob Davis, Willie Joe Foust, and Cortez Melton - I left to see the world courtesy of the United States Air Force. Basic Training at Lackland AFB was eleven weeks. And, after eight weeks, because we had done most things right - my friend, Bob, and I were able to spend Sunday afternoon in downtown San Antonio.
Keep in mind that, in our whole life, neither of us had ever seen an Hispanic female. That day, walking through the park, we chanced upon two attractive young Hispanic ladies - and, like two country hicks, we mumbled, "Can we take our picture with you?" I still have that photo. But, from that day, Hispanic ladies carried a fascination for me.
The first Asian girl I ever met was on the train in September 1955, traveling from my home in Alabama to Air Force Tech School in Denver. After Basic Training I went home for a month and then left by train for Denver. On the same train car a pretty Chinese girl was traveling from Atlanta to San Francisco. She got my attention because she was obviously Chinese - but, she spoke English with a Georgia accent, y'all. I changed trains so that she and I could travel from Memphis to Kansas City together. From there, she went on to San Francisco and I went to Denver.
At the Air Force Tech School orientation in Denver, they told us, "There are seven women in Denver for every man - and 80% of you will be married before you leave Tech School." Whoa! Not me! Life is too much fun to get married.
Once I got settled into my Tech School routine, I discovered the Denver USO where every evening there was dancing and lovely ladies with whom to dance. I was in my Fred Astaire heaven. We danced to the Top Ten songs of the week, which were usually about 75% Elvis and the Platters, with a few other thrown in for flavor. Then, and now, there is no better dancing music than Elvis and the Platters; still love those songs.
Then, one Sunday evening a lovely Hispanic vision walked into the USO. Not only was she "to die for" beautiful; but when I met her I found that she was also a great dancer. Now that was a combination I could not resist. We dated for about a month and then I went home to Alabama for Christmas. At home, I told my mom, "Mom, I believe I have found the woman for me."
In January 1956, when I returned from Christmas leave, Betty and I began to date seriously - and on March 3, 1956, we were married.
My brother always said that I married her because she was such a good dancer. But, actually there were a number of factors: she was beautiful, inside and out; she was exotic to me because she was Hispanic; she had three adorable small girls (3, 4, 18 months) and was a great mother. And I could go on. But, add those up and factor in my love for children - and we were a great match.
After Tech School, I had a one month leave and in April 1956, I shipped out to Korea and Formosa (Taiwan) for a year. In 1958 I was discharged from the Air Force and we moved to Los Angeles where I started my career in the computer industry. Over the years we lived in Austin, Texas; Southern California; Norfolk, Virginia; and Alexandria, Virginia/Washington DC. Then, in early 1963 we moved back to Southern California.
Later we separated - but, remained good friends, talking often on the phone, until her death from cancer in 2001.
In Southern California during the 1960s and 70s, I was living the life most young men dream of - a good job, plenty of money, great night life, acting school, you name it and I found it. Even got to attend a week-long Jimmy Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Reunion at the Del Mar Beach Club in Santa Monica where Bob Hope was the closing dinner guest speaker. Definitely living the good life.
At some point during that time, I saw the 1962 movie titled "No Man Is An Island" - the true story of a World War 2 American sailor, George Tweed, who was stranded on the island of Guam when the Japanese invaded. A Filipino family hid him in a cave and brought him supplies to survive. In the movie, the Cruz family had a beautiful daughter, played in the movie by Barbara Perez (called the Audrey Hepburn of the Philippines). Over the several years Tweed was living in the caves, and this being a Hollywood movie, he and the daughter fell in love. That part was not true, but it made for an interesting story line, Hollywood style.
Yet, that movie was a life changer for me! When I saw Barbara Perez I told myself, "I have found the perfect woman, the Filipina. She has the fire of the Hispanic, and the femininity of the Asian woman." What more could a man want?
Boy, I sure knew how to complicate my life. I decided I wanted to marry a Filipina - but where could I meet a Filipina living in Southern California and having no Filipino friends at that time? The ones I would want to meet did not go to bars and night clubs. And, the ones I could meet in the night clubs - I would not want to take home to mom. What a dilemma.
What I did not know then is that every hospital and medical clinic was full of Filipina nurses and doctors. I could have just visited a hospital and I would have been in "Filipina heaven." But, who knew?
Still, my decision was firm - I must marry a Filipina. In the meantime, I continued my busy nightlife. One Wednesday evening I was at the lounge of the Saddleback Hotel in Santa Ana with friends. We were just getting ready to start an evening of dancing when one friend, Lupe, pointed to the lobby door of the lounge, telling me, "Bill, there is Rita." Rita was one of the Filipinas I would date, but not take home to mom.
I looked up, saw a beautiful Filipina and her girl friend standing in the lounge lobby area, and told Lupe, "No, that is not Rita. But, I do want to know this gorgeous lady."
Yes, that is how I met my future Filipina wife, Dory. She was a real estate agent for Red Carpet Realty and they had a company meeting at the Saddleback Hotel every Wednesday evening. She and her girl friend, Phil, had just come out of the meeting. I managed to introduce myself and we talked for a while - during which I asked if I could call her for a date. She agreed, but that week I chickened out and did not call.
The next Wednesday, I saw her again after their meeting and she asked why I had not called. Well, to make a long story a wee bit shorter, that Saturday evening we went on our first date. And Sunday morning I went to church with her. After church we went for a drive, stopped for a movie at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, and then had dinner at the Quiet Cannon (now just called The Cannon) restaurant in Dana Point.
From that Sunday dinner, we never dated anyone else. And, on September 2, 1977 we were married in a civil wedding and had a short honeymoon in Estero Beach, Mexico. Three years later, we decided we wanted to have a church wedding and a more fitting honeymoon. So, off we went to Hawaii - and on September 2, 1980, we had a church wedding and a one week honeymoon in Oahu.
Dory has a great singing voice and plays piano. When we first met and were married, she used to sing at many Filipino functions around Southern California, once singing at a special ceremony held for the governor at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.
Music was her first love - and on our dates, as we were riding in the car she would sing to me. One song which she sang beautifully was "The Way We Were" a Barbra Streisand song - "Memories light the corners of my mind, Misty water-colored memories of the way we were. . . "
Another song which she would sing and I dearly loved then, and still do today is the Filipino classic love song, "Dahil Sa Iyo." I could not understand the words, but the tune and the feelings I could easily understand - and it touched something within me.
On Facebook in 2015, the Filipino American Facebook Community Group posted a reunion video of the group, Pinay. I listened to several songs, but when I heard them sing Dahil Sa Iyo, it brought a beautiful flash-back to our dating days. The following is the the lyrics in both Tagalog and in English:
Now, I invite you to enjoy the group Pinay singing "Dahil Sa Iyo (Because Of You)." When you watch this video, I believe you will see why I decided many years ago to marry a Filipina. And, I have never regretted that decision.
This year, September 2, we will celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary. But, best of all, because we are both Christian believers - we will be together for eternity. How good is that?
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
Reading all those wide ranging tales of love - I decided to share my Love Story with the group and with all my Friends. So, below I have combined two posts from the past few years and come up with this: "Bill Gray, This Is Your Life! ~ Or, How To Marry A Filipina!"
I pray my Love Story encourages others to shoot for have a long, happy Christian marriage.
Note: In the story below, to have a better view of the photos, put your cursor on the photo and click the left mouse button. After viewing, to return to the story, left click the "X" in the upper right corner of the photo page.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
On the TimesDaily Religion Forum in 2014, I had an agnostic Friend with a special fascination for the loves and life of Bill Gray. In between the barbs she held special just for me, she would take aim at the ladies who have been special in my life. So, I decided to put that issue to bed once and for all time. What women, or I should say, what nationality of women have caught my eye over the years?
How far back shall we go? In the 1st grade I had a terrific crush on a cute little blonde named Ruth Barksdale, who has stayed a friend for life. Jump forward a few years to the 8th grade and I had a crush on another cute blonde named Sue Wiley. I believe she moved away before high school.
In high school, my eye was taken by a feisty wee Irish lass named Molly McCullough. I took a class in physics - because from the classroom window on the second floor I could watch Molly's Phys Ed class. Kind of hard to study physics when all I was interested in was Molly's anatomy. Due to a lack of progress in my studies, it did not take me long to drop that class. Heck, who needed physics anyway? But, I had signed up for Latin because Molly was in that class - and I actually made it all the way through the class.
You may have noticed a lack of Asian or Hispanic names in my early romantic interests. That is because Alabama, in the 1940s/50s, had virtually no Asians nor Hispanics living there. We were all just plain old Heinz 57, distinguishable only by the European names we inherited from our long forgotten ancestors.
June 1955, high school graduation - and one week later, with my classmates, Bob Davis, Willie Joe Foust, and Cortez Melton - I left to see the world courtesy of the United States Air Force. Basic Training at Lackland AFB was eleven weeks. And, after eight weeks, because we had done most things right - my friend, Bob, and I were able to spend Sunday afternoon in downtown San Antonio.
Keep in mind that, in our whole life, neither of us had ever seen an Hispanic female. That day, walking through the park, we chanced upon two attractive young Hispanic ladies - and, like two country hicks, we mumbled, "Can we take our picture with you?" I still have that photo. But, from that day, Hispanic ladies carried a fascination for me.
The first Asian girl I ever met was on the train in September 1955, traveling from my home in Alabama to Air Force Tech School in Denver. After Basic Training I went home for a month and then left by train for Denver. On the same train car a pretty Chinese girl was traveling from Atlanta to San Francisco. She got my attention because she was obviously Chinese - but, she spoke English with a Georgia accent, y'all. I changed trains so that she and I could travel from Memphis to Kansas City together. From there, she went on to San Francisco and I went to Denver.
At the Air Force Tech School orientation in Denver, they told us, "There are seven women in Denver for every man - and 80% of you will be married before you leave Tech School." Whoa! Not me! Life is too much fun to get married.
Once I got settled into my Tech School routine, I discovered the Denver USO where every evening there was dancing and lovely ladies with whom to dance. I was in my Fred Astaire heaven. We danced to the Top Ten songs of the week, which were usually about 75% Elvis and the Platters, with a few other thrown in for flavor. Then, and now, there is no better dancing music than Elvis and the Platters; still love those songs.
Then, one Sunday evening a lovely Hispanic vision walked into the USO. Not only was she "to die for" beautiful; but when I met her I found that she was also a great dancer. Now that was a combination I could not resist. We dated for about a month and then I went home to Alabama for Christmas. At home, I told my mom, "Mom, I believe I have found the woman for me."
In January 1956, when I returned from Christmas leave, Betty and I began to date seriously - and on March 3, 1956, we were married.
My brother always said that I married her because she was such a good dancer. But, actually there were a number of factors: she was beautiful, inside and out; she was exotic to me because she was Hispanic; she had three adorable small girls (3, 4, 18 months) and was a great mother. And I could go on. But, add those up and factor in my love for children - and we were a great match.
After Tech School, I had a one month leave and in April 1956, I shipped out to Korea and Formosa (Taiwan) for a year. In 1958 I was discharged from the Air Force and we moved to Los Angeles where I started my career in the computer industry. Over the years we lived in Austin, Texas; Southern California; Norfolk, Virginia; and Alexandria, Virginia/Washington DC. Then, in early 1963 we moved back to Southern California.
Later we separated - but, remained good friends, talking often on the phone, until her death from cancer in 2001.
In Southern California during the 1960s and 70s, I was living the life most young men dream of - a good job, plenty of money, great night life, acting school, you name it and I found it. Even got to attend a week-long Jimmy Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Reunion at the Del Mar Beach Club in Santa Monica where Bob Hope was the closing dinner guest speaker. Definitely living the good life.
At some point during that time, I saw the 1962 movie titled "No Man Is An Island" - the true story of a World War 2 American sailor, George Tweed, who was stranded on the island of Guam when the Japanese invaded. A Filipino family hid him in a cave and brought him supplies to survive. In the movie, the Cruz family had a beautiful daughter, played in the movie by Barbara Perez (called the Audrey Hepburn of the Philippines). Over the several years Tweed was living in the caves, and this being a Hollywood movie, he and the daughter fell in love. That part was not true, but it made for an interesting story line, Hollywood style.
Yet, that movie was a life changer for me! When I saw Barbara Perez I told myself, "I have found the perfect woman, the Filipina. She has the fire of the Hispanic, and the femininity of the Asian woman." What more could a man want?
Boy, I sure knew how to complicate my life. I decided I wanted to marry a Filipina - but where could I meet a Filipina living in Southern California and having no Filipino friends at that time? The ones I would want to meet did not go to bars and night clubs. And, the ones I could meet in the night clubs - I would not want to take home to mom. What a dilemma.
What I did not know then is that every hospital and medical clinic was full of Filipina nurses and doctors. I could have just visited a hospital and I would have been in "Filipina heaven." But, who knew?
Still, my decision was firm - I must marry a Filipina. In the meantime, I continued my busy nightlife. One Wednesday evening I was at the lounge of the Saddleback Hotel in Santa Ana with friends. We were just getting ready to start an evening of dancing when one friend, Lupe, pointed to the lobby door of the lounge, telling me, "Bill, there is Rita." Rita was one of the Filipinas I would date, but not take home to mom.
I looked up, saw a beautiful Filipina and her girl friend standing in the lounge lobby area, and told Lupe, "No, that is not Rita. But, I do want to know this gorgeous lady."
Yes, that is how I met my future Filipina wife, Dory. She was a real estate agent for Red Carpet Realty and they had a company meeting at the Saddleback Hotel every Wednesday evening. She and her girl friend, Phil, had just come out of the meeting. I managed to introduce myself and we talked for a while - during which I asked if I could call her for a date. She agreed, but that week I chickened out and did not call.
The next Wednesday, I saw her again after their meeting and she asked why I had not called. Well, to make a long story a wee bit shorter, that Saturday evening we went on our first date. And Sunday morning I went to church with her. After church we went for a drive, stopped for a movie at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, and then had dinner at the Quiet Cannon (now just called The Cannon) restaurant in Dana Point.
From that Sunday dinner, we never dated anyone else. And, on September 2, 1977 we were married in a civil wedding and had a short honeymoon in Estero Beach, Mexico. Three years later, we decided we wanted to have a church wedding and a more fitting honeymoon. So, off we went to Hawaii - and on September 2, 1980, we had a church wedding and a one week honeymoon in Oahu.
Dory has a great singing voice and plays piano. When we first met and were married, she used to sing at many Filipino functions around Southern California, once singing at a special ceremony held for the governor at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.
Music was her first love - and on our dates, as we were riding in the car she would sing to me. One song which she sang beautifully was "The Way We Were" a Barbra Streisand song - "Memories light the corners of my mind, Misty water-colored memories of the way we were. . . "
Another song which she would sing and I dearly loved then, and still do today is the Filipino classic love song, "Dahil Sa Iyo." I could not understand the words, but the tune and the feelings I could easily understand - and it touched something within me.
On Facebook in 2015, the Filipino American Facebook Community Group posted a reunion video of the group, Pinay. I listened to several songs, but when I heard them sing Dahil Sa Iyo, it brought a beautiful flash-back to our dating days. The following is the the lyrics in both Tagalog and in English:
Dahil Sa Iyo (Because Of You)
Sa buhay ko’y labis
Ang hirap at pasakit, ng pusong umiibig
Mandin wala ng langit
At ng lumigaya, hinango mo sa dusa
Tanging ikaw sinta, ang aking pag-asa.
(Long have I endured in my life
The pain and sorrows from Love arise
Then you came and redeemed me, my dear,
My only hope in my darkest fears)
Dahil sa iyo, nais kong mabuhay
Dahil sa iyo, hanggang mamatay
Dapat mong tantuin, wala ng ibang giliw
Puso ko’y tanungin, ikaw at ikaw rin
(Because of you, I yearn to be alive
Because of you, ‘till death (you) must realize
In my heart I know there is only you
And ask my heart, you’ll know that this is true)
Dahil sa iyo, ako’y lumigaya
Pagmamahal, ay alayan ka
Kung tunay man ako, ay alipinin mo
Ang lahat ng ito, dahil sa iyo
(Because of you, I found happiness
That to you I offer this love that is so blessed
Though indeed I may be a slave for loving you so true
It matters not to me, ‘cause everything’s because of you)
Now, I invite you to enjoy the group Pinay singing "Dahil Sa Iyo (Because Of You)." When you watch this video, I believe you will see why I decided many years ago to marry a Filipina. And, I have never regretted that decision.
This year, September 2, we will celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary. But, best of all, because we are both Christian believers - we will be together for eternity. How good is that?
Pinay Performs A Classic Tagalog Song "Dahil Sa Iyo" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKyhPAmfV8I
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
Click to enlarge photo:
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