2007年NPR美国国家公共电台五月-Finding a New Kind of Love, Late in Life

And it's time now for StoryCorp, a project crisscrossing the country recording 1 interviews between everyday people. And we're gonna hear today about two men who changed each other's lives. It began when they met ten years ago and at that time Don Boniface was single and living with AIDS, Ted 2 Kuhar had only recently told friends and family that he was gay 3. In this recording Don begins their story about a relationship that took root later in life.

My partner had died of AIDS and I had gone through two very very difficult years of mourning and being on my own.

I, er was an aging man who is just out a few years. I came out at age 50 so I lived my life before then with friends and family, and lots of love in my life but I didn't know what this kind of love was.

Oh thank God a mutual 4 friend introduced us. It wasn't love at first sight but there was some kind of a recognition 5.

I invited you, oh, come on up to Vermont.

I said I'll be there I'm staying ten days.

I was scared.

He was scared.

You arrived and I went over and shook hands "hi come on in." I gave you a bedroom that was 7 doors away.

That was as far from his bedroom as possible.

Three nights later. As I'm drying silverware he said.

Come on Ted, get real so. . .

We started long-distance dating. Ted would come and visit me in New Jersey 6.

Remember you taking me around to, meet the ladies at the bank and supermarket and I'm hanging on to you just, holding me down to earth.

But I loved it, I'd never had any kind of experience like that before in my life.

Oh, you were a real challenge for me because I knew that you had not been in a romantic relationship previously 7.

I remember so well before you. I used to say, I have so much love in my heart. And I want a person to come along who can have this love in my heart that could burst, there's so much of it.

We could certainly see a lot of what was there, waiting to come out and it's paid off.

When I met you, you had been living with AIDS for 11 years so the chances at that time of this going on much longer weren't real great.

I remember the time that we were in my living room and this is when you were still pretty frightened. You looked me right in the eye, you said, you know, I won't hang around for you if you get sick. And that hasn't been true at all. You were there for me, you will be there for me.

You are a part of me.

For now, and a good time to come.

If I did die before you I would hope that you would have, be open to the possibility of another relationship.
I can't imagine.
You know, once you lose a partner for me, it became a real issue. I had hope that you felt something similar to what I felt. My life is worth sharing with somebody.

A big difference between us is I have had one person in my life, that's you. You're it. . . I love you so much.

Love is what this is about.

And that's why there's no question in my mind that the death of one of us will separate us, and nothing else will come between.

Don Boniface and Ted Kuhar in Berlinton, Vermont. Their conversation will be archived along with all StoryCorp interviews at the American folk life center with the library of Congress 8. And you can by the way subscribe 9 to the StoryCorp Podcast by going to npr. org.
----------------
crisscross
To move back and forth 10.
take root
1. To become established or fixed 11.
2. To become rooted.