True love meets "head on."

Much has been written about animals finding their way back home after months, or even years of being lost. This is a true story about a man, a woman and a Mustang that found its way home. The car, not the horse.

Alan Summers bought his first car when he was in high school; a vintage 1969 Ford Mustang Fastback. He dated Lynda Fields in that car; a girl he had known since kindergarten. Alan and Lynda parted, neither can say why, and the Mustang eventually became neglected to the point that Alan decided to sell it to a friend.

The friend fixed it up and kept it for a few years until that friend wanted to buy a ring for his true love. Alan bought the car back. Eventually, the friend bought the car back from Alan, kept it for a while, and then wanted to sell it again. This time Alan turned down the offer so the friend sold the car to someone else. End of an era; or so Alan thought.

By this time, Alan and Lynda had lived their lives apart from each other for almost twenty years until an unusual set of circumstances brought them back together; both single. After dating Lynda for a while, again, Alan decided to ask her to be his wife. Now any guy can go to the local jewelry store and spend a fortune on an engagement ring, but Alan took his proposal a few steps further.

He commissioned a painting from local artist Sylvia Williams of himself and Lynda strolling at Fountain City Duck Pond, where he planned to ask her to marry him. It was finished and on display for Lynda to see in an ice cream shop across the street from the park. He took Lynda to the ice cream shop and showed her the painting; before the stroll, and before he even asked her to marry him. Now that takes self-confidence. Of course, he had a ring too, ready for after he popped the question. What female wouldn’t say “yes?”

Once married, Alan and Lynda started to talk about whether they could find “their” Mustang. All they knew was that Alan’s friend had sold it to someone who worked at Boeing. Alan made up a flyer, hoping he could get it into Boeing and maybe the person would recognize the car and call. Around that time, he and Lynda met a new friend, Jimy, with whom they shared a common interest in old cars, especially Mustangs; and Jimy worked at Boeing! The new friend posted the flyer and the very same day the man who had bought the car found Jimy and told him that it was for sale.

They purchased the car and today Alan has his first true love back in his life; and he has his first car back, too. Some guys consider a car their first love but on Sept 22, 2001, Alan married his first true love. Alan says he has experienced his one true love then, now, and forever with his wife, Lynda.