CUSP – Craig Wilkes
Tom Thompson: This is Tom Thompson and I’m interviewing Craig Wilkes and we’re in a restaurant in O’Fallon, Illinois and its 3 December, 2010. Craig, first could you tell us your name and age and a little introduction, spell your last name. Also, since this is a regional study, could you also kind of tell us how you got to Southwestern Illinois?
Craig Wilkes: OK, my name is Craig Wilkes, W-I-L-K-E-S. I’ve lived in Southwest Illinois for almost 20 years and I got here, originally from Michigan by way of the United States Air Force through numerous assignments and ended up here in 1990 and stayed.
TT: OK, could you describe the object that we want to talk about today?
CW: The object of my inspiration is my license plate, Illinois license plate on my car, both the front and back of my car. And I had my license plate personalized and that license plate reads I DO 1975.
TT: And how long have you had that license plate?
CW: Approximately 15 years. Previously on another car and then 4 years ago transferred to my current car.
TT: And normally I would ask where you keep it and so forth, but I know exactly where it is.
CW: On my car
TT: Right. And so could you tell me why that object inspires you?
CW: It inspires me cause we got the license plate, kind of, to be a symbol of our marriage at the time and as time has gone on it is now 35 years ago that we got married so its an inspiration to me as I walk to my car and see my license plate it is a reminder of my marriage. I am proud of my marriage. And it’s a reminder to me that I need to invest time and energy to my marriage and to actually care about someone more than myself. It’s a reminder to cherish my wife. It’s a reminder make deposits in the love bank for future withdrawal. And it’s like I said before its, I’m proud of, we go weddings and you know they have the marriage dance and where all the married couples go out on the floor and you know they take them off one by on until they get the oldest couple up there and we’ve made it to number two before and that’s cool. And I’ve got more if you want to hear it.
TT: Well, and your wife’s name is Beth
CW: My wife’s name is Beth.
TT: And
CW: We got married in 1975.
TT: OK, and I was going to say to other people comment on it?
CW: Yes. It’s interesting. Some people get it right away. You know, they will say oh, you got married in 1975. Other people will ask the question; did you get married in 1975? And then you get these other people that don’t get it at all and they say what did you do in 1975? And I say, “I do.” And they some people don’t get it at all, what does your license plate mean? But I would say more than half of the people understand it.
TT: OK, and what does Beth think about it?
CW: She’s never really said anything about it.
TT: Fair enough. That’s all. Anything else?
CW: I have one more story. It’s anecdotal. In the last four years, no last couple of years Beth and I have done pre-marital counseling. And we’ve done four couples over the last couple of years. And on three of those occasions, we do five sessions each. On three of those occasions I waited outside for the couple to arrive and I stood by my car and I told them we don’t have any formal training in pre-marital counseling, but I point to my license plate and say “these are my credentials right here.”
TT: That’s good, I like that. Well that’s all I can think of unless you have anything else. Thanks Craig, I appreciate it.