My Husband Took Me To A Super Walmart For Our First Date. Here’s Why I Married Him Anyway.

I was a giddy college freshman the first time I laid eyes on my future husband. There was something about this guy that had me intrigued and I knew in that instant that he introduced himself that he would be a big part of my future.

I spent the next eight months (yes, eight months) conveniently showing up to events he was hosting, participating in campus groups he ran and basically just making myself seen. (Some call it stalking, I call it “being in the game.”) In the meantime, I went on a couple dates with guys here and there, but I knew this dude was going to be in my life.

One day in April, we start talking and he invites me to a gospel concert on campus. I agree, asking my roommate to come along for support. We spent a few hours swaying to the music and catching the Holy Ghost. Afterwards, we walked back to our dorm and said good night. Except, I wasn’t ready to call it a night yet.

So I decided to be bold and go knock on his door. He lived three floors above me so it was a quick trip.

He let me in and we proceeded to spend the next six hours watching movies, talking about any and everything. I could feel that this was the start of something big. He asked me to come with him to his alma mater the next day, a Saturday. I hadn’t been to that school in a while and even though I didn’t know what to expect, I agreed. It sounded fun.

We drove around the campus and he pointed out all the highlights from his college years. Being back in his element brought out a new side to him, a more relaxed, more confident man that I was slowly falling for.

There wasn’t much else to do in the town. So we went to Walmart.

Yes, Walmart on a first date.

Was it romantic? Surprisingly, yes. Walking all around the store basically gives you the chance to get to know each other on a deeper level. We hit the music department and shared which CDs we loved and who our favorite artists were. We did the same in the movies section. We went to housewares and talked about how we couldn’t wait to move out of the dorms and get real, adult furniture.

It was fun, get-to-know-you time and it revealed a lot about him. I am so glad I took that time to judge the man, and not the activity. Because I was having a great time and just being with him was enough for me. Now, I admit, moving forward, we gotta stretch and do different things. Every date night that ends at Walmart ain’t gonna work!

But I had a good sense of his spirit. He was a kind man, a hard-worker and respectful to me during our time together. He loved his family and his friends, and bringing me to his alma mater, where every other employee stopped him and asked how he was doing post-graduation, showed me that he made the most of his time at college.

I was sprung. Officially.

Four years and one month later, we got married. And to think, it all started at Walmart.