Gertrude smiled. "When did you first discover how effective your dance classes were at creating relationships?"

There are two answers to this question because I have made this discovery at two different times.  To start our story, let me continue to talk about the 1999 Holidays when I totaled up the web site numbers for the very first time.

After I added up the web site numbers at the end of 1999 and came up with 24 marriages and engagements, that was the moment when the sheer enormity of what was happening here at SSQQ dawned on me. 

I was thunderstruck.  I mean, it was sort of like being told, 'Rick, this is why you are here.'  Mind you, there weren't any burning bushes or angels flying in the background. If you are a skeptic, some of this stuff must be hard to swallow.  Therefore please forgive my allusions to mysticism. I am not an overtly religious person in public.  But in my private thoughts, I admit I am amazed at the thirty years of bizarre strokes of good fortune and lucky coincidences that keep propelling this program to the next level. Therefore, at the moment when I stared at 1999's list of 24 marriages and engagements, it was like a Yogi's moment of Enlightenment.  All kinds of light bulbs began to explode!

Most people wander around their whole lives asking the question, 'Why am I here?' 

In an instant it became clear I had a role - I believed I was destined to help create relationships.

I had always known the studio had a great track record at creating marriages, but that was more of a subliminal thought. 

The number "24" shocked me.  It's sort of like an athlete who sets a record and thinks to him or herself, 'You know, I thought I was pretty good, but I never realized I was THIS GOOD!'  


"Why were you so surprised?  I mean,  surely you have some inkling."

You might wonder why it took twenty-two years of business for this reality to sneak up on me, but it isn't really difficult to explain.

You see, SSQQ is a dance studio. I get paid to teach dance lessons.  For twenty-two years, I was running a dance studio.  I saw myself as a businessman.  I spent a lot more time writing articles on Policies and Refunds than I did on 'Romance'.

But now it was quite possible I was missing the point.  I had discovered a pretty serious clue that suggested I had been put in this role because I had a special talent to help people connect.

The studio was contributing to 2 marriages a month and we weren't even trying!!   Good grief!  What would happen if we tried?? 

That's when I decided to try a little!

During 2000, I took my Matchmaker role very seriously.  I wrote articles like this one, I paid close attention to the SSQQ Newsletter, and I got involved with as many people's lives as I could. 

At the end of the year I added it up.  We had 31 couples get married or announce engagements.

2000 was the finest year in the history of my studio.  The energy was unbelievable. At the end of the year, I wrote an article titled "Millennium Romance 2000".  This was the story where I first announced to the world about my hunch that SSQQ was the 'Romance Center of Houston'.  I was so proud of my studio I could burst! It wasn't just me either.  I had matchmakers all over the studio.  Every time someone would announce an engagement, my instructors would fight amongst themselves to take credit!   Of course Rachel Seff (Koenig) claimed every one of them.  I think she should be called 'Yenta'. She loves introducing people and making things happen. In that way, she is much more aggressive than I am.  Rachel is my role model.

"Have you ever checked out your claim about being Houston's Romance Center?"

"Well, Gertrude, maybe that's something you could do for me.  Perhaps you could contact our friends like Ms. Dooley at the Houston Chronicle. I imagine the Houston Chronicle would have the resources to do a better job than I could. Plus maybe be a little more objective in the process.  Just do me one favor.  Tell them not to do like it the Houston Press does and have people phone or email in their votes. That's a popularity contest.  Any huge church group with the ability to "get out the vote" could win easily.

Tell them to do it by the numbers. I have the studio's facts and figures published in bold print.  Anyone in the contest should be expected to do the same.

Even if SSQQ didn't 'win', it would not diminish the studio's accomplishments in any way.  We are still going to be up there.