Whilst Attending Wedding

This past weekend I attended my friend Jon's wedding (to his lovely bride Tina) in Washington, DC. It was a semi-formal event, you know, blue suit & funky tie, very lovely decor and held in the gorgeous Old Ebbitt Atrium in downtown. Good times were had by all and I have since confirmed that it was not drunken-ness that caused the good times. Indeed people were actually rejoicing, genuinely enjoying a little Hava Negila action (it was a mixed Jewish/Christian wedding, non-denominational) and forgetting about their stress for a short while. But I did make two mental notes which I think are worth blogging about:

1. Crackberry addicts are out of control. Like guns and bad-attitudes they should be checked at the door of all weddings. Black-tie not Blackberry. I think it shows a sign that many of my generation are so 'connected' that they are completely disconnected from the reality of life: that the moments of life only come once. It's particuarly important to note that those moments don't require a wedding to happen! They are happening RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW. So put down the Crackberry and dance, my friends. Sing, honored guests. And laugh and smile, oh lovely relatives. The emails will still be waiting when you next decide to zone-out. Hopefully that will be by conscious choice during a time that you're on-the-clock. I am proud to say I did not even think about my phone. Jon & Tina your wedding was beautiful and I remained fully present even when moon-walking on the dance floor.
   
   
2. On a different note, why do my best friends in this universe only gather once every 3 years when somebody gets hitched? Hell, last time it was my own wedding so one might say that I set a precedent of only gathering for big-time occasions. I'm not saying we can have a weekly gathering since we live in Kentucky, Los Angeles, Orange County and Washington, DC. But can't we see each other more often than every 36 months? How about an alumni event in Boulder, CO where we all attended school? Hell, I'd settle for a conference call (we could write it off then too!).
   
   The awesome & sad part is that we all picked up right where we left off sans the deep philosophical semi-bullshit semi-amazing conversations we'd had in college. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. Perhaps we're mature enough not to require that anymore. But it does show that we're so busy these days that it's just enough to fly in for the ceremony and then head out of town having danced, drank and given a few hugs. There are children in the picture, wives, important jobs... even Presidential campaigns.
   
   I don't really know what my point is (it often gets wrapped up in some convoluted poetic lyric somewhere). Perhaps it's that life goes on despite birth & death, wedding & divorce, love & heartbreak. We share the same experiences, however different the circumstances. We are one energy, one world. So when those rare moments come, whether every 3 years or every 3 decades, taking the time to make a mental note, take a digital photo, nod to a snapshot in time or write a blog; it's important for one's mental health to be present even if it's just long enough to say, "Oh yeah. This is why I'm grateful for all those things back home." Find your own 3-year-bonding and make every moment that special.
   
   Gaze out and realize that those moments are going on every second of every day. It ain't about the money. It ain't about the 'big day'. I believe it's about taking notice of a too-fleeting presence of mind.
   

That being said, I spent most of this glorious occasion breaking it down on the dance floor and I now share the photo proof that you've all been anxiously awaiting.

DC Trip, May 2007

Congratulations Jon & Tina. Thanks to all the friends I met again, met for the first time and will someday see again. Mazel Tov!