Make me a match,

Find me a find, catch me a catch…”

(From “Fiddler on the Roof”)

In the spring of 1962, I decided to arrange a blind date for my friend Grant, a Bowdoin classmate. This offer was a tad risky, as he had never had a date in his life. My former high school girlfriend Edith, a student at Ohio Wesleyan, agreed to set up Grant with her roommate Ellen. So, natch, we drove the 877 miles from Brunswick, Maine to Delaware, Ohio for Grant to meet Ellen. Edith and I broke up shortly after this visit. On a brighter note, Grant and Ellen began a long distance relationship which lasted through college. It gets better: They got married in 1965 and recently celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary.

In the winter of 1984, my wife Tina and I arranged a blind date between her college roommate Nancy and my brother Tony. She had been married once; he had been married twice. We knew they had geography in their favor, as they lived only an hour apart in upstate New York. Their first date involved attending a concert and then dealing with a major snowstorm, which necessitated that Tony spend the night of their first date at her house. They got married in 1986 and lived happily together until he died of cancer 20 years later.

In fairness, not all of my matchmaking efforts have been as successful. As an example, Tina and I decided that Annemarie, Tina’s chemotherapy nurse, and Jim, a neighbor in our condo complex, would make a perfect match. So in 1995 we took them to Papa Razzi, a nice Italian restaurant in Concord, Massachusetts, and waited for the spark to ignite. It didn’t. Jim talked nonstop about himself; Annemarie silently fumed. Ah well. Even Babe Ruth struck out a few times.

A recent Bowdoin graduate from Nepal who’s been staying in our house this summer shared a matchmaking story, which bears mention. About 10 years ago, her aunt was doing graduate work at a university in the southeastern part of the U.S. Her aunt went on line and connected with a young man of Nepalese descent who was then living in Europe. Their online relationship grew to the point where her aunt invited her virtual paramour to visit her in the U.S.

As it happens, her aunt’s mother planned to visit the U.S. at the same time that the aunt’s male friend was was going to be there. Ever the matchmaker, the older woman had brought along a sheaf of papers which listed the names and contact information for eligible Nepali men living in the U.S. She was surprised to learn that her daughter had already found a man. Happily, the two of them got along great. Even happier, the couple eventually got married, and they live together today in Europe. As an added twist, the young man came from a different caste than his bride. No matter. Everybody loves him.

What are the lessons to be learned from these matchmaking tales? I’m not sure. But I do know that questions such as, “How did you two meet?” and “What are the keys to a good romantic partnership?” and “I wonder if X and Y would make a good match?” keep life interesting. As important, they help older folks, such as myself, to stay engaged in the magic and mysteries of life.

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David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary or suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns at dtreadw575@aol.com.