My First Day Episode 7

This is KPBS Midday Edition. I am Maureen Cavanaugh. KPBS is exploring new ways to create stories you want to listen to, stories that originate here in San Diego. David had a 35 year career in law-enforcement. He was the police chief beginning in 1999 and served as the police chief in to Lavista. The reason he originally came to San Diego may not be familiar to those who know him as a loyal officer. It was to be with his girlfriend who had recently moved from where they first met in El Paso, tax itTaxes. Here is excerpt.My brother was in the Marine Corps. He was injured in Vietnam. He was brought to the hospital. We would come and visit him often. They loved San Diego. Another break -- brother came to live with him. My parents said we wanted to live in San Diego. Let's go to San Diego. In my mind, I needed to apply to college and I was going to move. I applied. It was late in the game to apply to state or the other schools. The only one that was excepting applications was international University. I applied and I was accepted. I moved near my brother. It was a shock at first. I had to start. I came at the last minute. I had to fill out forms. I remember my brother saying, you are on your own. I have to work. My wife has to works. My other brother was working. I brother said drop me off and you can take my car. I am driving a Corvette. It is a stick shift. I learned how to drive a stick shift. I knew how to drive it. And there was a high hill I had to go up and I could not go up the hill. I kept stalling and the car kept cutting off. Some Persian student came up and said, do you need some help? Do you need me to drive it up the hill? I said yes, please. I could not. I filled out the forms and I applied for financial aid. While I was there, they said, how fast do you type ?I told them.They said you need a job, your higher? You are hired. I worked in the financial aid office. I went to school it paid for my tuition. It was perfect. It was a perfect fit. While I was here, I missed my family terribly. I felt I needed to be with them. My brother and I come one weekend we decided to go to them. We rented a U-Haul truck and packed the house. We moved. [ laughter ]The family was building a new life in San Diego. David was on the other side of the country serving in the Marines. His first time in San Diego was an important trip. It change the direction of his life. They are largely retired and you can hear the law enforcement officer in his voice as he tells the story of My First Day.It was in December 1977 . I flew. That was my first time. I saw very little of San Diego. I was in the Marine Corps and I was here for three days. My mother and father also met me here. I was to meet with my future wife and her parents and Ashley asked her father for a hand in marriage.My sister was getting married. She asked us to be part of the wedding. I asked if he wanted to participate in a wedding. He said yes. He came.'s parents were invited to the wedding. As soon as they arrived, they put their luggage in the hotel and came right over. He brought his parents. He brought a friend along as well. I said okay. It was funny. When I met him, he used to play football in high school. He was hefty. As I saw him passing through the kitchen at my moms, I am looking at him. Which one was David. He passed by so fast. He and his friend. His friend was built like him but then I saw the other guy that was dinner. It was David. When I saw him, it was like well. He has lost a lot of weight. Boot Camp can do that to you I suppose but I was startled that he had lost so much weight.I had never been more nervous in my life. The pressure and all sorts of things went through my my. You do not know anybody here. You are not sure if my wife will say yes or not. Making that transition from a place that has been called home for 20 something years, and knowing that I needed to get a job right after leaving the Marine Corps, I was not thinking a lot about San Diego except what was going to happen in the future and being nervous and pressure.Did you rehearse ?Without a doubt.I did rehearse. Even then, I was quite nervous.She had a large family. She comes from a family of 12. She had older brothers and sisters. That was anxiety there and there was a lot of pressure with a big family.Like most stories, details differed, depending.She had an idea but it was probably not a big surprise.To my surprise, that is when he proposed, when he came to my sisters wedding.It went fast in my mind. I remember I sister in the hallway and listening to everything. It was just for my parents to be there. my grandma was also living with us at the time. They were all there and he was on one knee. I was surprised. He asked my parents for permission to marry me. His mom and dad spoke. My mother-in-law mentioned something, by son is such a wonderful person. She was telling my parents what a wonderful son she had. We knew that how wonderful he was. My grandma said, you know, she is not just anyone. She is a great person. She has a great demeanor. My parents were very humble and quiet. They would not say -- my grandma spoke up for me.I thought oh my goodness. What will happen now? Is his mom going to be upset ?Actually, I asked her father first. I did the old traditional down on the knee with the ring.Despite a sassy grandmother, everything turned out okay. As the father gave permission and she said yes, the father said yes. It was quickly and then I was lectured on the faith and being a husband and those types of things.You heard Dave and speaking on the podcast, My First Day. That is produced and hosted by Andrew Brackett. To listen to the rest of the story , go to www.kpbs.org