The 10 Year Anniversary of Dale Earnhardt's Death: And My Wedding
It is also the day after my tenth wedding anniversary.
My husband and I got married February 17th 2001. We had a nice little wedding in Reno, Nevada; it was a quick decision which was quite a surprise to both sets of our parents. So, their surprise to us was that all of them would be joining us in Reno for our wedding.
I had no idea at the time, but my father in law is a hard core racing fan, and of course Dale Earnhardt, The Intimidator, was his favorite race car driver. He told us he was missing the race for our wedding and that we should feel special. They were going to be on their way home during the race the next day, so they would not be able to watch the race.
My father in law had on his Earnhardt jacket and hat, but he always had those on. He taped every single race and was, even before Earnhardt's death, probably the biggest collector of Earnhardt memorabilia I have ever met.
Needless to say, our wedding day was awesome. It was so nice to have both sets of parents there for the wedding, and my husband's aunt and grandmother had flown in as well.
But the happiness didn't last very long, the next day while waiting in line at the airport; we overheard a conversation behind us. "Did Dale Earnhardt really die?" One guy asked another. Both my husband and I quickly turned and asked what they meant. We were shocked.
My father in law missed the race for us, and his favorite driver died.
My husband and I both couldn't help but wonder if that was some kind of weird sign. We were obviously upset about the crash and sympathetic, but still...
Dale Earnhardt will always be remembered as a legend of NASCAR. Earnhardt's father was a driver and his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., is as well. He won seven Winston cups and earned the nick name The Intimidator for his aggressive driving.
After his death, many songs included Dale Earnhardt and a tribute movie was made about his life. The movie, '3: The Dale Earnhardt Story" came out in 2004 and was shot on a very tight budget, in a mere 20 days.
Dale Earnhardt died at the age of 49, on the final lap of the Daytona 500. And he died doing what he loved most...racing.
Published by Jennifer Wright
Jennifer is a freelance writer, being a freelance writer allows her to stay home with her five children. Having been a military wife for ten years she has a special interest in supporting the troops. View profile
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1 Comments
Post a CommentThis was a sad day. I cried and cried the day Dale passed away, and for a few days afterward. I am a HUGE fan of his, as evidenced by the "3" tattoo on my left shoulder blade. Thanks for sharing this piece. :)