If you are anywhere near my age, though I’m not mentioning a number, you may remember a song called Chevy Van by Sammy Johns. Customized vans impacted the 1970s culture, and this song contributed to the reputation of Chevy vans at the time and beyond.
Why am I talking about Chevy vans, you might ask yourself? Well, I’m going to tell you a story about my husband, our first date, and how my dad knew right away that Chris was my one.
I’ll save the story of how Chris and I met for another time—so you’ll have to come back to Cozy Intrigue for that tall tale. For now, let’s start this story a few days before that life-changing first date.
Long ago and far away …
Back in the ancient times of the 1970s and 1980s, people didn’t carry cell phones around. Nope, we carried dimes or quarters for the pay phones all over town.
I know, I know … what world is this you speak of with no cell phones? It was a magnificent world where people talked to each other face-to-face, and actually enjoyed planned interactions.
On the night Chris and I met, after talking and getting a little acquainted, he eventually asked for my phone number. That would be a landline number in my parents’ house. I was still in college and living at home. With my dad. Who distrusted every guy I dated. Chris included. Chris especially. You see, Chris was not from our little town in upper East Tennessee; he was all the way from a town thirty-two miles away.
Dad didn’t know if he could trust Chris, even though he had moved only a few miles away from our town. And according to my dad, none of the guys I dated were to be trusted.
I have to pause here to say that Chris was the most gorgeous guy my twenty-year-old eyes had ever seen! Oops … I said I wouldn’t mention my age. Oh well, the truth is always out there. Anyway, when Chris asked me out to an Imperials concert, I couldn’t say yes fast enough. (If you’ve never heard of the Imperials, look them up … Contemporary Christian group. Check out the song The Trumpet of Jesus)
Date Night!
What a night that was! The concert was beyond awesome, and afterwards Chris took me to Godfather’s Pizza. (don’t laugh) I was in LOVE! I mean head over heels, forever, I’m walking down the aisle with THIS man, in love. A once in a lifetime kind of love.
Now, I’m a little ahead of the story because I didn’t know the entire story until years later … after I did indeed walk down the aisle with my one and always.
Dad, my protector
Here’s where things get fun. You see, Chris had a customized Chevy van. A Chevy van with a bed in the back. My dad would not be pleased. In fact, one look at that van and you can bet your bottom dollar that his daughter was not walking out the door with this guy. I mean, who did he think he was coming to pick up his daughter in that … that … positively inappropriate symbol of the ongoing (shhhh…) sexual revolution?
Oh, Dad. He really didn’t need to worry. But, dads will be dads. And at the same time, my dad knew boys would be boys … even twenty-one year men could be boys.
However, my Chris was a man of integrity, not to mention one smart cookie. Chris called my dad and explained that he drove a Chevy van and that there was a bed in the back. He told Dad that if the van was unacceptable, he would drive the thirty-two miles to his hometown and borrow his mother’s car for our date.
I’ve wondered over the years what my dad’s face looked like at that moment. Of course, the van with a bed in the back was unacceptable for his daughter, but how could he ignore this guy’s honor? Well, he couldn’t ignore it, and Chris and I went to the concert—and many future dates—in that Chevy van.
When Dad met Chris in person that night, he knew–just knew–that Chris was my one. My forever one.
My Man!
What a man of God my Chris was … not only on our first date but throughout our marriage. I am thankful and blessed beyond the stars to have had him for my husband.
“The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death.”
~ Oscar Wilde
“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. LOVE NEVER ENDS…”.
~ 1 Corinthians 13: 7,8
*Special Thanks: Pixabay and Unsplash for use of all free images: Feature image Photo by Julian Schultz on Unsplash, #1 Image by minhacho from Pixabay, #3 Image by Thomas Breher from Pixabay, #4 Image by jrico144 from Pixabay, Cozy Intrigue Cover Photo by Albertfotofilms from Pixabay
***#2 Image “Our Wedding” Copyright ©2025 Janet Campbell ~All rights reserved
Cozy Intrigue ~ Janet Campbell 
Thank you for sharing your story! You are a wonderful writer, and I enjoyed hearing about your first date!
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