Romance at the credit union

In thinking about our pending, retroactive legal marriage, I've been appreciating the credit union. That's where we signed mortgage papers together in June of 1998. When people asked us if we were going to have a commitment ceremony, I always said that had been it. Risking my credit rating was a big deal for me; taking on responsibility for the mortgage debt was a big deal for Sandy. It was a momentous occasion.

The week before what I now realize was our wedding, we
went to Nebraska for my family reunion, and saw cousins I
hadn't seen since childhood and their families.

Nine years later, in July 2007, we signed the domestic partnership papers in front of a notary. Whenever we needed a notary public, we stopped by our credit union. It's six blocks from our house, they're good people, and there's always a notary on hand. So it was the natural place to go with this important paperwork.

We joked at the time about the unromantic nature of the transaction. The form went to the secretary of state's office, to the department of corporations. Not a bastion of hearts and flowers. After they received the form, they mailed us a certificate and wallet cards so that we could prove our status if we were challenged at hospitals or anywhere else

Now, it turns out, that was our wedding. A landmark errand sandwiched in between buying groceries and depositing a check. A moment that we noticed, commented on, and were excited about, but not one that we considered a public celebration of our love. Yet on June 30, 2014, the state of Washington will recognize that as the day we were wed. I think of that building very differently now every time I walk by.