Aug 30 2008
Thoughts on weddings and Facebook
I attended an old friend’s wedding today. After 17 years of friendship, he’s finally gotten hitched. He’s a real gentleman and his bride is a wonderful lady. I’m certain God broke the mold when he made those two. It was a sweet and quiet affair.
And I was, quite amusingly, keeping company with a young chap who was whining that there was no one his age (a month or so pre-NC16) to hang out with. But I’m kind.
As I met up with old acquaintances at the wedding, I couldn’t help but feel a little strange. There was some sizing up happening here and there, some courteous nods, an extended conversation or two. (Why do weddings always morph into such affairs?) However, it felt different. Everyone has moved on. Things you had in common with others a long time ago are no longer brought up as subjects for conversation. Instead, it’s merely idle talk, the requisite “how are you doing?” to satisfy your own curiosity. Not that you’d remember the moment you leave the acquaintance behind in search for another person to start the entire process all over again.
Over the years, my priorities have shifted. Perhaps I’ve become a little more of a recluse, a little more (for wont of a better word) elitist. I’m not sure how others perceive it, really. It’s just that after going through a number of things in life, I’m less interested in being the life of the party. I’d soon a quiet conversation or none at all, listening to jazz, than hobnobbing (even among people I know) and sharing the gossip. So I’m less keen on speaking with others.
I do so much better with children, who are (for the most part) without guile and so easy to get along with. Am I a child at heart then, or just unwilling to deal with baggage? I suspect it’s the latter.
I learnt a lot more about that young chap today than I could’ve in any other setting. Sitting next to one another throughout a wedding dinner will do that, but then again, perhaps I was truly interested in knowing more about what makes him tick. If only I approached everyone the way I do my school children… with keen interest and a willingness to listen to whatever they wish to say.
And a side note:
It’s strange that this wedding has started me on this train of thought… but has anyone also noticed that Facebook seems to be a great location to flaunt those studio wedding shots? Not that I have anything against that, but really… at such a moment in my life where I’m pondering whether I truly need to have a spouse to be happy… it gets a little… much.
