It is February 1997, and I am working at the local hospital. Every time I go to and from our department, I pass by the window where Sherry works. She is usually on the phone (I think her job is answering ALL the calls coming into the hospital, in addition to front desk and scheduling at the Outpatient Clinic). Even with her busy schedule, she always calls out hello and has a great smile for everyone - well, most days she smiles, well, uh... come to think of it, she is a redhead and very temperamental, and.. oh well, for the sake of the story, we will say she always has some sort of greeting! Bottom line is everyone loves Sherry but, as we were to discover, some more than others.For a few months now we have been noticing that Tim from Respiratory Therapy has been hanging around the Outpatient Clinic, and at first we were concerned over the respiratory status of some of the patients. But then we discovered the real reason for the visits, the above-mentioned redhead (who seemed to be smiling more these days, too!). At first it seemed an unlikely match, mild-mannered, soft-spoken Tim and energetic, outspoken Sherry. (Can you say spitfire? To which Sherry would reply bite me.) But when Cupid shoots his arrow, there is only one result - true love. So we watched the romance blossom and started asking if they had set a date, to which they made excuses about having to save money for the wedding, etc.
About this time a local television station had a Valentine's Wedding contest - just enter the names of a couple who wanted to get hitched and if picked, they would win a wedding - the service, flowers, pictures - all the couple has to do is just show up. Well, someone entered Tim and Sherry, and THEY WON! Channel 9 - Good Morning Chattanooga called and gave Sherry the big news early one morning, the catch was - the wedding was on Valentines' Day, just a few days away. Needless to say a whirlwind of activity ensued, but it all came together and they were married on TV, as we all watched proudly. Then they were off for a weekend honeymoon.
It has been 9 years since Tim and Sherry had their 15 minutes of fame, and she says that even though the requests for autographs has stopped, occasionally in passing someone will point and say, "I saw you get married on the 5 o'clock news!"
Happy Anniversary Tim and Sherry!
