True Life Lesbian Oral Herstory Project, "55 Years Together", Patricia Larson and Jennie Meyer, Los Alamitos, California
[caption: The June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives Oral Histories Project]
[caption: Update on Pat & Jennie nearly 5 years later]
Larson: Right now, we’re getting ready for a New Year’s Eve party. And that’s going to be fun.
[caption: Have you really been together 55 years now?]
Meyer: Almost 55 years.
Larson: Time flies!
[caption: Has anything changed for you over the last five years?]
Meyer: Well neither one of us have had an affair or anything. [laughter] We’re kind of content with each other and raising our dogs. Change–
Larson: I think we’re all looking a little older.
Meyer: Yeah, we’re older.
Larson: Other than that–
Meyer: That happens–
Meyer: As far as the lesbian archives is concerned–somebody’s got to record our history otherwise nobody even knows we exist and I think being on the internet and things like that, people do tune into stuff like that out of curiosity if nothing else. And then, if our word is out there, we are out there, we’re not invisible, we’re a big part of the community. And we’re just like everybody else. We participate in life just the way anybody else does. To have our word out there and I think that people like Ellen DeGeneres–wow, you know! Boy, she has opened up a whole world. It’s just important to be visible so that–we’re part of the community, we pay taxes, we go to the grocery store, we have parties, in fact we’re having a New Year's Eve party that I’m really looking forward to now! We’re going to have one hell of a lot of lesbians here! It’s a cool community to belong to. I feel so connected, so very connected with them. And the Mazer–oh to be part of the Mazer! That’s part of our history. And come to find out that there’s people looking at our old contribution and now just updating it, that’s kind of cool!
Larson: The important part for me about the archives is I don’t have anyone to leave my stuff to. So if I leave it to the archives, it’s there. I did exist. I still may, you never know!
Meyer: I just think it’s wonderful that somebody wants it. My family doesn’t care about pictures of my gay friends. Yeah, it’s–I love the idea that we’re going to be counted somewhere, that somebody’s going to remember us.
[caption: How much longer do you think you’ll still be together?]
Larson: Well, I figure a max of 10 years. [laughs] That’s all I’m going to go is 10 more years.
[laughter]
[caption: What is the secret to staying together for 55 years?]
Meyer: Well–
Larson: Well–
[laughter]
Meyer: It’s–as long as she continues to give in to me, most of the time, we get along fine. I have to win the most of the arguments.
Larson: That’s right. That’s it. We compromise, Jennie gets her way, we got it made!
Meyer: I know how to not push the wrong buttons. Because I'll get a stone face and she’ll walk away and that ends all conversation. And that can be really frustrating, so I don’t do that very much.
[caption: Any other tips for us on how to be in a 55 year relationship?]
Meyer: “I love you” every night before we go to sleep. Yep, pretty much.
Larson: That’s good, yeah.
Meyer: Yeah but you’re old enough to go anywhere either.
Larson: I really am.
Meyer: You can’t go anywhere because I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not living in this world without you. So you can’t go either. Besides–
Larson: I’ll stick around a while, what the hell. Plus, we’re just too old for anything else.
Meyer: Too old for anything else! Too old for something new! This one is well-trained!
[shows a photo with the caption: Pat Larson & Jennie Meyer Happy 2016!]
[END OF VIDEO]
Remember the video thousands of you loved where Jennie tells the story of going AWOL from the Air Force to be with Pat? You wanted to know what they are doing now so we are bringing you an update five years later.
Interviewee: Pat Larson
Interviewee: Jennie Meyer
Interviewer: Unknown
Transcriber: Adriana T.
Transcriber: Dave P.
Formatter: Serena R.
Recording Date: 2015
Release Date: Circa 2015
Location: Unknown
Interview Length: 00:04:38