Feeling romantic.

I like to do romantic things. Not just dream about ‘em. But actually do the romantic. Live the romantic life. Once upon a time, I thought that being romantic was impractical. Or too zany. Too absurd. Too ridiculous. That was in my younger days. And I had other things to do. Such as pursuing my career. Writing for newspapers. But then I realized that I was in a romantic profession. Writing stories. Heck, that was better than digging ditches or working in construction or selling cars. Although I did dig ditches. In a romantic way. Working one summer between college terms. Reinforcing a railroad bridge across the Frazer River near the Continental Divide in the Colorado Rockies. And later I joined the U.S. Army. As a soldier. Serving as a sportswriter for an Army newspaper in Germany. That gave me a sense of the romantic, too. And then I got married. And lived with the same woman for 38 years. Again, a romantic adventure. And now I’m in love again. With an Italian. And so I’m living part-time in Italy and part-time in Minnesota. Feeling romantic. –Jim Broede