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July 14, 2005
I would walk 500 miles...
Well, after a long hiatus, I am back, at least for the evening. I could go into a lengthy discourse of why it is I blog and why it is that that motivation seems to go away for long streches and then come back, but I won't. In short, I blog to express creativity and to connect with people. And one of the people who I always enjoy to connect with is David, and the fact that he has created a blog, I suppose is some of the motivation for me to pick mine up again.
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with weddings. Actually, it is more love and avoidance due to disappointment. I don't think I have ever really hated them, just there have been times when I have been too sore to go to optional ones and too sore to relish the ones I have had to or needed to attended through obligation or love for the participants. And it isn't just weddings. I am deeply moved by baptisms, especially of wiggly, often wailing, wee ones, communion, and yes even funerals.
Only communion and baptism get the sacramental tag in Presbyterianism, but the others get it in Catholicism, well not funerals, but you gotta have Extreme Unction to get to a funeral. Without getting into theology, these all, specifically for believers, can be demonstrations of God's grace, yes they are even mediator of God's grace and blessing to us. That, I think, is why I dig them theologically. Emotionally I think I respond to the vows of commitment, the move toward connection of people, or the severing of that connection (or the establishment of new connection to Christ) in death.
I remember the first wedding that made an impression upon me at these two levels. It was the wedding of Allan and Diane, two InterVarsity staff workers. My brother I attended and afterward talked in the car of how much we liked it. The two main appealing features? Corporate hymn singing by the entire congregation and an honest to goodness sermon where the couple sat down to listen. It was like a church service with a wedding appended. Very nice. Plus, Diane and Allan were two fantastic people and it was just delightful and blessed to see them wed. I don't know, but I think at that time I began to desire marriage and relish the prospect of a wedding.
I will not say much here about what made the attendance of weddings an occassion of sadness, but here it is in short. It is logical enough, I suppose, that people who fail at intense relationships to which they have committed a great deal are either completely soured or saddened by weddings. In my relationship, weddings themselves were one of the bones of contention (one of a virtual skeleton of bones), precipitating intense emotional arguments. In short, I pushed for tradition; she did not care a hoot for tradition or being the center of attention, but only that loved ones were there and that it got one married. Looking back now, I think I cared not so much for tradition, though some of them are dear, but of meeting expectations. I think that on this score she won the argument. Really, though, if I ever am to wed, I think I will attempt to develop, to what many men comes naturally, an apathy for details.
Still, there are these thoughts. I think simple is good. Not cheap, mind you. High aesthetics in frugal fashion. And, if the focus is really on why we are there and who has brought us there and on family and friends, then I think I'll be content. Hey, I think I would even like to nix the gifts or channel them to some greater good (not my idea, but a good one). O, and just this one thing more, I want a processional for the guys...
When I wake up yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you
When I go out yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you
If I get drunk yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you
And if I haver yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's havering to you
But I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walked 1000 miles
To fall down at your door
When I'm working yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's working hard for you
And when the money comes in for the work I'll do
I'll pass almost every penny on to you
When I come home yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who comes back home to you
And if I grow old well I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you
But I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walked 1000 miles
To fall down at your door
When I'm lonely yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man whose lonely without you
When I'm dreaming yes I know I'm gonna dream
Dream about the time when I'm with you.
But I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walked 1000 miles
To fall down at your door
Seriously, I do, but I doubt I'll get it.
Pure Silliness | By jackdas | 7:58 PM
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Posted by: Superman at July 15, 2005 3:36 PM
