Sharing affection

Courtesy of Rod Pitta

Part-time lake resident Rod Pitta took out this ad in a Key West, Fla., newspaper. In it, he asked those who saw he and wife Bev around the resort city to offer their condolences to her for "putting up with me for all these years."

Some men send flowers, others prefer to say it with jewelry or candy.

Rod Pitta has another way of letting wife Beverly know how he feels about her. And in the days of Facebook and other social media, it may be something of a throwback. But according to the Pittas, who met in Lynchburg, live in Raleigh, N.C., and have a home at Bernard's Landing, it's nevertheless effective.

For their 25th anniversary, Rod, who works in customer support and training for a software distributor, and Beverly, who works for a carpet mill out of Canada, took a trip to Key West, Fla., not an unusual way for a couple to mark an important date. As it turns out, they marked that date with a number of strangers and new-found friends.

Rod surprised his wife by placing an advertisement in the Key West Citizen, the island's daily newspaper. In the ad, Rod proclaimed his love: "On the occasion of our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary; knowing what I know, having been where we've been, done what we've done, having seen what we've seen; through all the years and all the tears, all the laughter, smile and miles; I would do it all again," it said.

But he didn't stop there.

Rod included in the ad an open invitation to the public, asking that if anyone saw them around some of the couple's "favorite haunts" or at Key West's "fine establishments ... please offer your condolences to Bev for putting up with me for all these years."

There were a number of folks who took him up on it, including several waitresses where they dined.

"One waitress said, 'I read about that, and I want a guy just like Rod,'" he recalled.

The anniversary ad wasn't the first time Rod has used a newspaper to get his point across. He acknowledged Bev's 50th birthday, included a photo of a group of friends who traveled to Key West with them, and placed an ad for another friend's birthday when they were not along.

But Rod took it a step further for the anniversary. He handed out 60 shots glasses imprinted with "Rod and Bev's anniversary in Key West."

That went over well, according to the couple.

"It provoked a lot of conversation," Rod said. "And a couple of people bought us drinks."

As for Bev, she said she was happy to have put up with him for all these years.

"A lot of people said Rod was making it tough for other guys," she said.