The courtship of Apollonia

I was walking around the grounds of the Grand Watertower with a good friend today, and we were having a discussion about all sorts of things. Somewhere in the conversation, I romantized the idea that things used to be simpler back in the good old days when it came to relationships. You hear stories all the time about couples our grandparents' age going out on dates and the guy would propose on the first date. It all seems so romantic. At the very least, it seems like couples back in the good ole days didn't waste time. When I got home today, I flipped on the TV and found the movie "The Godfather". I was watching the part where Michael was in Italy and he met the girl Apollonia. He spotted her walking with a group of other women and some children. Stopping by a neighborhood establishment, he and his friends really started talking up this woman in less than honorable terms. When they discovered the girl's father was in front of them, Michael apologized to the father and requested to meet his daughter under the supervision of the family. It was at this time that a courtship began...all supervised. They were soon married, and they experienced love for the first time on their wedding night. They shared many things together; Michael even taught her how to drive. It was a lovely love story...except for the part in which she exploded in a car bombing.

Here is the view of downtown St. Louis from the Grand Water Tower.