TAHLEQUAH — Aside from having a baby or buying a home, proposing marriage is probably one of the most emotional, and memorable, events in a person’s life.

Unfortunately, one young man in California may have misread his girlfriend’s feelings, as he was not only turned down on his proposal, but spurned in public at a UCLA basketball game. The video of the event has since gone viral on YouTube.

The proposal happened just before Christmas, and the video surfaced shortly after the new year. Halfway through a game against Richmond, the arena’s “Mistletoe Cam” cut to a couple sitting courtside, An announcer with a microphone was there as the woman leaned into kiss her boyfriend, but the man instead stood up and proposed. The woman, stunned, shook her head and ran away.

Most proposals aren’t quite that public, and most have a happier outcome – including those of several local residents and one Daily Press staffer.

Press Sports Editor Ben Johnson is engaged to Alicia Gowdy, and they’ve set the wedding date for July 21. Gowdy said Johnson went to great lengths to ensure the setting was perfect.

“I had gone with a friend to get my nails done after work,” said Gowdy. “My friend was very persistent about doing this for some reason. Ben was jittery and acted weird all day. I could not figure out his problem. I got home after getting my nails done, and there was a vase of flowers on the front porch and a card stuck in the front door. He is the sweetest man, ever! I grabbed the flowers and card and walked inside. It was kind of dark in the living room, but I saw this mess in floor that leads from the front door all the way to the bedroom. At first, I thought it was fruit for some reason. I walked into the kitchen, put everything down and went to the laundry room to grab the broom. I am starting to get frustrated with Ben, in my head, I am thinking, ‘OK, so he made a mess on the floor and instead cleaning it up, he puts the dogs in their crate and leaves the mess? Typical for a man.’ It turns out, the ‘mess’ was rose petals.

“Then it hits me: Where is that man, anyway? So, I walk to the bedroom and open the door and there he is. Down on one knee, in the dark. The only light in that room was coming from the pink Christmas lights he had draped all around the top of the bedroom. After he proposed, all of our friends jumped out from the closet, the bathroom, and some even started crawling out from under the bed. He had invited all our closest friends.”

On their first date, Johnson and Gowdy went to Rhema [Bible Institute] to look at Christmas lights. Christmas is Gowdy’s favorite time of year.

“At the end of our first date, Ben asked me which part was my favorite, and I said the part where all the pink Christmas lights were. He grabbed my hand and took me back to that spot, and that is when we shared our first kiss. That year, he got me pink Christmas lights and those lights have been a big part of our lives since.”

Jennifer Crittenden, local resident, said her husband proposed to her almost 10 years ago near the gazebo at Beta Field on the Northeastern State University campus.

“Some friends and I had walked over to that part of the campus, and I was sitting on the ledge with my back to Beta Pond,” said Crittenden. “He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. Once I got over the initial scare of someone grabbing me from behind, he was able to propose. We have been married eight years, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Nancy Geiger, also a Tahlequah resident, said her husband proposed near her mother’s childhood home.

“My husband and I had been dating for two and a half years, and were visiting family in Texas the weekend he proposed,” said Geiger. “We took a walk around beautiful Highland Park, in Dallas, and he proposed on the lawn of my mother’s childhood home. It was very romantic, and very sentimental, in such a beautiful place that meant so much to my family. He put a big ring on my finger and promised to take care of me forever. We’ve been married four years this April and have a 2-year-old son and another son, who will be born in a few weeks. Happily ever after!”

Adair County resident Shayla Grayson said her husband showed a tremendous amount of courage by proposing in front of both of their very large families.

“ I have been married for six years,” said Grayson. “We got married on New Year’s Eve. My husband, Stuart, asked me to marry him at the Adair County park in Stilwell in front of our entire family, which is quite large. I had know idea that he had planned a proposal, but everyone else did. I thought we were all getting together for a barbecue so everyone could get know each other better. Right before it was time to eat, we had all gathered under the pavilion. Stu got on one knee and asked me to marry him, and the answer was yes.

“We still laugh today at how brave he was to ask me in front of everyone. Once, I asked him what he would have done if I had said no, and he said, ‘Run, jump in my truck, and drive off.’ I wouldn’t change a thing, and it was great that our whole family got to share this moment with us.”