The "Ring In The Box" Story

Photo from Marianne's Blog with Paul Ryder in the center.

It was an ordinary day.  Checking out Marianne's PhotoBlog on the Lancaster- History.Org website.  Marianne is the daughter of good friends who go to church with Carol and me.  She has been working at the Historical Society for quite a few years and handles cataloging of all the photos that are given to the historical society.  She takes many of the photos she catalogues and writes about the history associated with the photo, adding her take on the photo.  The byline for her blog is: Because pictures are worth a thousand words, but sometimes they need an interpreter.  One of today's vignettes with photograph is titled "The Shark Incident" and dealt with a group of three guys who set out to catch the shark in the photo.  Or, was it just a happy coincidence?  They were fishing in the waters off the coast of Stone Harbor, New Jersey when one of them hooked it.  She then goes on to name the three with the guy in the middle named Paul Ryder.  Now why do I know that name and recognize his face in the photo?  Ah, yes.  Mr. Ryder, as I knew him, was the jeweler who sold me the diamond that I gave to Carol when we got engaged.  Talk about coincidences.  

This storefront used to be Meiskey's Jewelry Store and was
located on the corner of West King and North Mulberry Streets.

My father and Carol's mother worked at Meiskey's Jewelry Store in downtown Lancaster, PA.  Dad worked there almost his entire life and Grace, Carol's mom, began working there a few years before I met her daughter.  Carol tells the story about how her mom would come home from work all the time and tell her she just has to meet this really great guy whose dad she works with at the jewelry store.  Well, her mom and my dad eventually set us up on a blind date and in no time I was talking to the owner of Meiskey's Jewelry Store, Paul Ryder, about a ring for the love of my life.  He gave me a fantastic deal, as most jewelers say, and I proposed four months after we met when she opened the jewelry box I made for her for her birthday and found the ring in it.  Oh, the memories!  I met Mr. Ryder quite a few times, but he mostly had dad run the shop while he peddled his diamonds.  And now, here he is staring back at me as I look at the photo on my computer screen.  Mr. Ryder died years ago and his collection of photographs somehow found it's way to the historical society and Marianne.  If you ever get the chance, check out her unique sense of humor as well as her knowledge of the history of Lancaster County by logging onto her blog at:  http://lancasterhistory.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=175&Itemid=308.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.