Summer Love Stories - Love Unexpectedly Found Online

We were both relatively new to SecondLife. At one event in Simple Paradise Mall we met and started a brief chat. Conversations flew around among the event attendees. One Thursday Benny wasn't sure what to wear to the Country/Western event. I helped him select the outfit (pattern and all). After the event he asked me to help him with the color selections for his store. I became Benny's interior designer/color coordinator...whatever title you choose.

In the course of deciding colors, patterns, and layouts, we began talking more about our personal lives. We found out despite our age difference we have a lot in common. One of us was always saying "me too!" We decided to take a risk, probably the biggest one of our lives. On May 10, 2007 we started dating with the intention of marriage after a year.

When we first told friends and family about the adventure we were about to embark upon they blew off our relationship as just another one of those summer love stories. But as time has passed they are starting to see it's more of a summer of life love story. Both of us had essentially given up on finding another relationship after all the pain and confusion from our last ones so we have both grown stronger tearing the wall around each other's heart.

Not only have we had the baggage from our past to overcome a language barrier. Benny is from Germany. He didn't learn English in schooling; instead he taught himself by listening to music, watching music, and looking up words in the dictionary. So the pronunciation can be way off and I don't understand what he's trying to say. For him to understand me I have to speak more slowly, which is very difficult as when I get excited about something (good or bad) I speak even faster. Also, I've had to find other ways to say things I've said for years because Benny didn't have the opportunity to learn slang and idioms.

Cassi & Benny at Hoover Dam in Sunbury, OH

Credit: Cassi Ripberger

Copyright: Cassi Ripberger