Ever wondered about the secret to a lasting marriage? Brace yourselves as we sit down with the ultimate lovebirds, my parents, Gary and Sherry, who have weathered the storms of life together for an impressive 51 years. Their love story, which blossomed from a high school romance and survived early marital struggles, is an endearing testament to love, resilience, and compromise. Expect to chuckle as they recount their curfew-breaking escapades!
Gary and Sherry offer precious nuggets of wisdom for all couples. They lay bare the importance of truly understanding your partner before taking the plunge into marriage and navigating the murky waters of conflict.
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email - lastpieceofpiepodcast@gmail.com
Ever wondered about the secret to a lasting marriage? Brace yourselves as we sit down with the ultimate lovebirds, my parents, Gary and Sherry, who have weathered the storms of life together for an impressive 51 years. Their love story, which blossomed from a high school romance and survived early marital struggles, is an endearing testament to love, resilience, and compromise. Expect to chuckle as they recount their curfew-breaking escapades!
Gary and Sherry offer precious nuggets of wisdom for all couples. They lay bare the importance of truly understanding your partner before taking the plunge into marriage and navigating the murky waters of conflict.
Social Media: LPoP
https://www.instagram.com/lastpieceofpiepodcast/
https://www.threads.net/@lastpieceofpiepodcast
https://www.tiktok.com/@last.piece.of.pie?_t=8j0uDxkYoVm&_r=1
Send us your comments or questions and we will answer them on the show!
email - lastpieceofpiepodcast@gmail.com
Welcome. This is Last Piece of Pie Podcast. I'm Jen, I'm Mel and today we have a very special episode with some special guests my parents Yay 30 U, gary and Sherry. They have been married 51 years in November 51 years in November, so we're going to talk about staying married this long. What's the secret sauce?
Speaker 3:We definitely need help.
Speaker 1:I'll be lucky if I get like 20 years with somebody at this point. Okay, so say your name, sherry.
Speaker 4:Gary.
Speaker 1:And tell our listeners where you first met.
Speaker 2:Well, we discussed that coming up here. I don't remember, and we don't remember Close in high school.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 2:In high school. I was 16.
Speaker 4:I was 17. I was 17.
Speaker 1:Was it during school, you can't remember or summer?
Speaker 2:I don't know where we met, but I know where I saw your dad for the first time. Oh, we're seeing for the first time In the gym Basketball, basketball gym, the old school gym.
Speaker 3:I'm glad she didn't say the boys.
Speaker 2:Like her I was going to be like mom and he was with another girl which was his girlfriend at the time.
Speaker 3:Oh gosh. Gary, gary and I took him and I took him, no you didn't you sold?
Speaker 2:him. Yeah, I sold him my bill of goods, I guess.
Speaker 3:That is awesome.
Speaker 1:So, Sherry, what was your first impression of dad Gary?
Speaker 2:I thought he was very handsome, I thought he was. He was love at first sight for me. That was my butt walking around, and he still has a good butt walking around In the nude. Oh my God.
Speaker 4:I don't think she just added that. Okay, dad, but that's what I was walking across. You know the top of the gym.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 4:You'd always be walking there before school started. Yep, that's what we're doing. How was that?
Speaker 1:Gotcha and what was your first impression of?
Speaker 4:mom, I thought she was pretty, because I can't remember where we met. That's terrible.
Speaker 2:In the gym. Please you remember something.
Speaker 4:Well, she saw me there, but I didn't see her.
Speaker 1:Till later.
Speaker 4:And I can't remember how we hooked up.
Speaker 1:You asked him out, or did he ask you out? Or do you remember? You don't remember.
Speaker 4:I don't remember.
Speaker 2:No, I remember our first date. What was your first date.
Speaker 4:We double dated right.
Speaker 2:We double dated.
Speaker 4:Went to Al Green's. You know where that is?
Speaker 1:No, I don't remember that.
Speaker 4:It's over by Washington Square. Oh, it's a restaurant, drive-in restaurant that had the screen. We go watch movies.
Speaker 1:Drive-in, drive-in, drive-in Restaurant.
Speaker 3:Wow and a movie.
Speaker 2:Who did you definitely look. Randy and Carol, friends which were friends of my sisters and they are now married.
Speaker 1:Okay, Still Still.
Speaker 2:But I had to go hunt your dad down on the first date.
Speaker 1:Was he talking about the other girl? Yeah, it wasn't the other girl.
Speaker 2:No, he was at a friend's house playing music in the garage. Oh, because he played your date, because he played guitar, okay.
Speaker 3:Well, you didn't have phones back then, right?
Speaker 4:Right, you didn't have phones. You had to track somebody. You had to track somebody you had to drive and show up.
Speaker 1:It was all face-to-face, so did he forget what time you guys were meeting and you had to go track him down?
Speaker 2:I don't know what time you see that, or he just didn't want to go on a date with you, I don't know which one it was oh, that's awesome.
Speaker 3:So you stopped playing guitar and you got in the car and off y'all went, all will.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 4:But the other part of it is she didn't get home till four in the morning.
Speaker 1:Oh, dang, I didn't hear this story. Oh, it's the night you were getting married.
Speaker 2:I don't think her parents were happy.
Speaker 1:Well, and when I got home, oh, no wonder you waited up for our curfew every night. Make sure we got home.
Speaker 2:I know why'd you make the same mistakes I did?
Speaker 4:That was a mistake. No, getting home. Oh, was that it.
Speaker 2:But the funny thing to that story is I have a sister who's 11 months older than me. So when I got home that morning and I got in the house, I got in the bedroom but my sister got up to go to the bathroom. My dad thought she was coming home, so she got grounded and never knew the drill proof.
Speaker 1:That is awesome, was that?
Speaker 2:I guess I escaped the bullet there. That was my sister Linda. That was Aunt Linda that got in trouble.
Speaker 1:Sounds like something that would happen to me.
Speaker 3:I love that your parents were out partying until four in the morning on their first date.
Speaker 4:Well, we were at the mercy of the driver, so oh, that's okay, I'm going to tell Jen that on my next hinge date If we ever have a double date.
Speaker 1:That was my fault, I was at mercy.
Speaker 4:I'm the driver I was going to say do people even do that anymore?
Speaker 1:I don't know. I've never been on a double date, I've been after I married on a double date?
Speaker 4:Yeah, but you had your own vehicle. Yes, See true.
Speaker 2:That's not really a double date after your marriage. No.
Speaker 3:Oh, really, so you had to be single.
Speaker 2:Double date.
Speaker 4:Two singles meeting up somewhere.
Speaker 3:So y'all think we should do this. Then we talk about it on our next episode, going on a double date and my hinge double date?
Speaker 1:The guys wouldn't even know each other. You had to go on one car.
Speaker 3:Oh hell no.
Speaker 2:No, it was in one car.
Speaker 4:Update we were at the mercy of the driver.
Speaker 2:We were in the backseat. Yeah, this could be unsafe. I mean, we don't even know these people.
Speaker 4:These are internet humans Best place to be the backseat.
Speaker 3:Oh, you're a dad. Oh, I thought I was going to have to be careful, but now, it's all off limits. Dad brought her home at four o'clock in the morning, said the best part was being in the backseat.
Speaker 1:I think that. Can I mute my headphones on certain parts? So that was your 16. Did you guys ever break up anytime? Oh yeah, oh yeah, many times.
Speaker 4:Twice maybe, oh Twice.
Speaker 2:And one time he took the first promise ring and put it in the middle of the street and stomped on it.
Speaker 1:Oh, he was mad at you, he was mad at me.
Speaker 3:This is great.
Speaker 4:And don't ask me why.
Speaker 3:No, we can't remember.
Speaker 2:Who knows?
Speaker 3:I mean yeah, I love that there was a promise ring above Right. That's my next question.
Speaker 1:That's so sweet, didn't know there was a promise ring thrown in there, there's a promise ring yes, Was that how real. 16. Still in high school. Still in high school. Oh, it's right away.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I might have been 17,. But yeah, we were both still in high school.
Speaker 1:So you broke up, got back together, I think were you a freshman and I? Was a sophomore.
Speaker 4:Yes, yeah, that was the way it was Freshman sophomore.
Speaker 1:And then you were dating an older man 11 months. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Star athlete. He was a star athlete.
Speaker 3:And played the guitar. No wonder why you didn't come home.
Speaker 1:He was strumming a lot and he played trumpet too right, Didn't he play trumpet? No, that was a great school trombone. Oh trombone. I thought I saw a picture with you and a trumpet.
Speaker 2:No, yes, you did. Yeah, that was at his Aunt Frieda's.
Speaker 1:There is a picture of you with that. He's a clean client. Yeah, very do, that's impressive and sings.
Speaker 2:What Used to? Yeah, he used to. He could play the piano while you stole him.
Speaker 3:I got on my old boys' locker room and had no chance.
Speaker 2:And then later on I only married him because I get the railroaders' pension seat, so I'm good.
Speaker 1:Oh, railroad pension.
Speaker 2:Oh.
Speaker 1:Amtrak. Oh, he's working for Amtrak, not then. Oh, those after you're married.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I was 26 before I started working for the railroad.
Speaker 2:He used to work with your grandpa, my dad, on construction.
Speaker 4:On road construction.
Speaker 1:Oh, I remember that he hated that job.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I was a bit over every day Tying the steel rod together for the concrete.
Speaker 1:Grandpa McCarty.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yes, and his. He wrote he did the big, and his grandpa, grandpa Sharp.
Speaker 4:He did the big machine that Grandpa Frank Sharp drove the dump truck to dump the material so his machine could level it out across the road.
Speaker 1:Got it. So you guys got married young though 20, 21? Yes, you were 20 and he was 21 ish. No, she was 19.
Speaker 4:I was 20.
Speaker 1:Oh, and the bun in the oven.
Speaker 3:Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 2:It took them a while to figure that out.
Speaker 3:Good thing she's pretty. She can't do math books, but she's pretty it might be a dump lawn.
Speaker 1:Hey, I was good at math and talking.
Speaker 4:She had to make her own wedding dress.
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, that's amazing, you did.
Speaker 2:No, I had to pay for my own wedding dress.
Speaker 3:Oh, okay, I thought you made it. No.
Speaker 4:I did not. How would you?
Speaker 3:pay for the promise ring.
Speaker 4:Probably borrowed the money from my mom.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's awesome. Frankie had what probably two jobs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she was a waitress and worked at General.
Speaker 4:Electric Western.
Speaker 3:Electric Western Electric. Make telephones, oh my gosh, that's great.
Speaker 1:Okay, so three kids, three daughters, three daughters Married. When you're early 20s, do you remember what your first fight was about when you were married?
Speaker 4:It was in that mobile Stephanie. We had Stephanie. I don't know what it was about.
Speaker 2:Probably because you didn't have a job, then Sorry.
Speaker 3:I shouldn't be laughing, but that was perfect. I'd be fighting too if my man didn't have a job. I'd be like, listen, the baby's gonna be bad.
Speaker 2:It was a struggle from the start.
Speaker 4:Yeah, you had a full-time job. I had a full-time job. Even after the baby.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Both of you guys came from poor families. Would you say Poor?
Speaker 2:Low-income, low-income middle-class.
Speaker 4:Yeah, we weren't poor poor.
Speaker 2:We weren't poor poor.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we didn't go to college, though.
Speaker 4:My real dad worked at Allison's.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I didn't know, because my oldest sister nixed the rest of us going to college, so I didn't go to college. Wow, she wanted to be a flight attendant, so dad paid the money for it, and then she didn't finish because she found a boy.
Speaker 1:So he didn't want to fork out any more money for it.
Speaker 3:He said I'm done. I know nothing about that.
Speaker 4:I think that's unfair, that was the end of college, because one didn't mean the rest of you would do it, right, right.
Speaker 3:Well, in the end it all worked out, so it's an amazing, beautiful story.
Speaker 1:So I think you've been asked this before, but what would you give advice to young people either A are starting out being married or in the middle of young kids and probably are having some differences, and why you guys stuck it out so long?
Speaker 3:That was a really long question.
Speaker 1:Question one what advice would you give to newly married people?
Speaker 2:Beyond the same page.
Speaker 4:About. You got to know your partner before you marry them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, know them before you marry them yeah.
Speaker 4:Because, otherwise how do you know what you like and he likes and whatever. And you're always going to have arguments and no matter who you are, you just got to be together more than your arguments are about.
Speaker 1:Do you have fake helping and having the same interest? Help Because you guys have a lot of them.
Speaker 4:She was not an athlete.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but then. Yeah, but she in the bedroom she was. I'm just saying she was doing something right.
Speaker 4:And I told her when before we got married. I says I will play sports until I can not walk. Yeah, she was okay with that she agreed to that you know, Right, that's awesome.
Speaker 1:She showed up for games. She was always there for our games, yes.
Speaker 4:Well, whenever she could be. She's working two jobs.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah.
Speaker 3:Okay, wait, so I got to go back. So how long did you all? So you dated like three years before you got married.
Speaker 2:Four.
Speaker 4:Yeah, three, yeah, well, off and on.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 4:I had two other girlfriends.
Speaker 3:I guess you'd say I was just gonna say why were you?
Speaker 2:in between. There he did yes have two girlfriends.
Speaker 1:Oh. So then when you finally the final time you got back together, then it was like oh, that's a man and she had did you moved away already. Yes.
Speaker 4:She moved away from where we were at to Columbus.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's like an hour. She finished high school at Columbus An hour right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, an hour to go.
Speaker 4:Finished school at high school.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Probably getting away from me. I'm like we're out of here. His asshole's bringing her home at four in the morning.
Speaker 2:Well, I can tell you why my dad? No, it's not. Why not? He's dead. Well, at our wedding. And my dad's walking me down the aisle and he looks at me and says you're going to your own funeral.
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm kidding. Hey dad says something like are you sure you want to do this to me?
Speaker 2:I'm serious, I am so sorry.
Speaker 3:I love that y'all proved them wrong.
Speaker 4:We're the only one of the daughters.
Speaker 1:Amen, Was it for Linda.
Speaker 4:I mean her and Uncle Don were married for a long time, but she was married once before and that didn't last.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she dated him in high school.
Speaker 4:Of course he was a friend of mine, so you know it was. He wasn't the one you went on a double date. No, it was Rick Colwell remember.
Speaker 3:Oh, uh-huh, that's great. So dad wasn't very kind on that date.
Speaker 2:No no, they didn't like him.
Speaker 3:And look at how well turned out. I love that.
Speaker 4:That's beautiful See people don't know everything do they.
Speaker 2:No, I mean, we're totally opposite people.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so opposites attracts, yeah that's what they say.
Speaker 1:I wouldn't 100% agree with that.
Speaker 3:It's not your position to agree. Well, this is their interview. I mean he's.
Speaker 2:He doesn't talk as much as I do. He doesn't talk as much as I do.
Speaker 4:Oh, she does all the remembering and I just go on.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, I mean dad's very introverted yes you are not yes.
Speaker 4:Tell what Tell it came to sports.
Speaker 2:Yes, or a drink or two, yeah right.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, that's true.
Speaker 2:Then he comes out of the show.
Speaker 4:Yeah, too much.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I get emotional, oh we should drink bourbon one night, mom and dad. And talk on it.
Speaker 1:I get kind of sassy when I drink bourbon, so that's a no for me.
Speaker 3:You're sassy all the time. I'll be you sassy dad crying.
Speaker 1:And then I'll hit record. Should we have your dad over here? Do you want to hear the Italian dad in here? Yeah, woo.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, that's very cool. I'm happy for you guys. Thank you, your love story is very inspiring. And listen, I'm still hoping for 50. I mean, I still have a little bit of hope. I mean I have to live to 110. But people do do it.
Speaker 4:Well, just to meet somebody. Until the end of your time comes, just don't rush it.
Speaker 2:Just take your time.
Speaker 4:That's right. Money ain't everything, but it helps.
Speaker 3:Yes it does, if you listen to our episode three.
Speaker 1:We're sugar daddy.
Speaker 2:You can tell you all about it, which my parents, my mom, listen to by the way, my mom and Jen's mom is still processing that, so I just hope you're not looking for another dad.
Speaker 3:No, no, I don't have a dad complex.
Speaker 4:Oh OK, thank you, thank you Good.
Speaker 1:No, I love that so.
Speaker 4:We're going to talk about disappointments in our lives.
Speaker 1:Oh, no, do you have any.
Speaker 2:Do you have any?
Speaker 3:Oh shit, I have a few. That's a corp, pull the corp.
Speaker 2:Pull the corp. Well, I'd like to hear those it's not about you.
Speaker 1:Oh well, that's good, like what?
Speaker 4:Oh, the time we went to Purdue for a softball coach meeting and someone didn't decided not to play.
Speaker 1:Was this?
Speaker 4:you yes, and other thing, other daughter episodes, not with this daughter, but other daughters.
Speaker 1:Yes, I know what you're talking about.
Speaker 3:They were a pain in the ass and nothing to do with you in that.
Speaker 4:I know, it's just the fact that we went up there.
Speaker 3:I know it cost money, no.
Speaker 4:No, she could have. Someone could have said I don't want to do it.
Speaker 1:I didn't know, I didn't want to do it until later.
Speaker 4:Oh, okay, Well then see.
Speaker 3:I wasn't disappointed.
Speaker 4:It was kind of that's hoping she plays off the wall there.
Speaker 3:Oh, there's the room, so he wanted you to play ball like him.
Speaker 1:Well, I had a D2 opportunities scholarships that I didn't take because I didn't like those schools. I wanted to go to Purdue. Then when I got up there and I talked to her and then I talked to some of the student athletes, I was like nope, no thanks, I am burned out from competition. I just want to.
Speaker 4:I thought I was going to be a doctor.
Speaker 1:So I was like I just want to study be a doctor. Then I was like F that this is too much schooling. And now I hate science, so I'm going to find something else to do.
Speaker 3:Nice. Can't wait to see what Abby does. This is going to be a great ride.
Speaker 1:I mean looking back. I wish I would have stuck out and did medical school, because? But?
Speaker 4:I found that feels kind of iffy. I call her the surgeon, yeah.
Speaker 2:Sometimes, I think I know more than my surgeon.
Speaker 3:So, for sure, all right. Well, I am so glad that you guys are back in town. Thank, you. It's nice to see you guys again. Thank you for coming and letting us know a little bit more about your pick our brains, your love life, hoping that we can strive for that.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Sure.
Speaker 1:And my only other question is and what would you tell people? Because I feel like when people have hard time in the marriages, they don't stick it out like your generation.
Speaker 4:Right, yes, yeah.
Speaker 1:So what would you say to people now about when you're going through a tough time, like why you should stick it out, keep getting to know that person?
Speaker 4:quit listening to your friends. Talk to the person you're married to more often and get off the goddamn phone.
Speaker 3:Amen, that's right.
Speaker 4:Because in our day, everything is face to face. There wasn't any of this stuff.
Speaker 1:Nobody does that anymore, Everyone wants to break up with you over a text.
Speaker 4:Right, that person's not worth it, right there.
Speaker 3:That's right. I love it Face to face.
Speaker 4:That's right Face to face. Get rid of the phone Well there's more to life than tick, tock and all the rest of that crap, right?
Speaker 1:Just don't avoid conflict in your marriage.
Speaker 2:Right, there's always going to be. Yeah, no matter what, you just work through it.
Speaker 1:You may not love that person that day, but you still like them. That's correct, good advice. Well, al Poppers, you heard it from Gary and Sherry, 51 years.
Speaker 4:Almost 52.
Speaker 3:No, no, and we have learned that they're both athletes in different areas. Yes, al Poppers, peace out.