I’m on a cruise where, at 61, I’m relatively young. One of the things that has been lovely–besides all the stunning views–is hearing the love stories and meet cutes of others on the ship. My favorite thus far is that of Gayle and Ken who are celebrating their 50th anniversary. Gayle said, “We were 20 and wanted to live together and, back then, the only way our parents wouldn’t disown us was to get married.” I am still laughing about Bridgit and Bob’s story–they’d grown up together in a small English town and Bob was mad for Bridgit but, as she says, “I was very popular.” When she finally–at 19–accepted Bob’s suit, his mother told her, “You can do better. Marry Chris instead instead.”
I love asking couples how they met although my niece tells me that just means I’m nosy. What do you think? Is it still OK, in 2022, to ask people how they met and fell in love?
Impenitent social media enthusiast. Relational trend spotter. Enjoys both carpe diem and the fish of the day.
I did keep asking and my husband and I met two of the loveliest couples that we ended up spending the entire trip with. I know their whole life stories and feel as though I’ve made friends for life.
I’m sticking with being nosy!
It’s okay to ask. We’ve been married 48 years and still love to tell how we met and fell in love. And I enjoy hearing how others have done so.
Sure, why not? I’m a romance reader. I love hearing real life romance! Most people like to share that stuff. I don’t press them though if they give me one line lol.
interested
I agree with DDD, it can be a fun way to get to know people. You can usually get a feel for people within a few minutes, whether they are naturally talkative or have a more reserved vibe.
If you ask and they say, “We met in college” and leave it there, then that’s fine. But if they offer more it’s because they want to. Go for it. Many people enjoy talking about themselves, especially happy for funny times in their lives.
I think that, if it’s asked in a respectful way and is an organic part of the conversation, you can certainly ask couples how they met. In fact, when we’re socializing with people for the first time, I generally ask a similar question as a bit of an ice-breaker—it’s interesting to discover how people got from point A to point B in their lives. What your niece calls noisy I would call curiosity (in a good-hearted way) about others. So ask away!