So... I met this man. He made me laugh and we decided that we should get to know one another. Next thing I know, we're telling each other that we love each other and we're talking about rings. One day, he produces one and tells me that he loves me and wants to spend forever making me happy. It all sounded so very nice.
Next came the whirlwind and the insanity of that should have prepared me. It was my introduction to some of the elements of my new life: Life in the "Institution" of marriage.
We talked flowers, colours... we picked out cute little favour buckets and tried to make my dreams of a thoroughly romantic feel come true. I learned at this time that emotive words appeal immensely to people who are providing a huge variety of services. Try and explain that you want something that's "pink and purple, but not too gaudi" and they will stare at you, completely flummoxed! Use the words "I want pink and purple and a really romantic feel" and suddenly they will inundate you with ideas. Personally, I don't think there are many sane people who choose to have these kind of conversations day-in day-out. For some reason, the past four months has been taken over with it.
We talked flowers, colours... we picked out cute little favour buckets and tried to make my dreams of a thoroughly romantic feel come true. I learned at this time that emotive words appeal immensely to people who are providing a huge variety of services. Try and explain that you want something that's "pink and purple, but not too gaudi" and they will stare at you, completely flummoxed! Use the words "I want pink and purple and a really romantic feel" and suddenly they will inundate you with ideas. Personally, I don't think there are many sane people who choose to have these kind of conversations day-in day-out. For some reason, the past four months has been taken over with it.
Then there's the lists. Lists of names, addresses, desired photographs, possible napkin sources- you name it, we had a list for it. If I didn't make a list, my mother was at the top of the list of people that were willing and itching to do so for me!
It was a world that was foreign to me. I suddenly had to become an expert on flowers, fabrics, colours, place-settings, wholesalers and vases. I side-stepped the majority of these challenges, barely doing enough to get by.
Despite these challenges, somewhere along the way a wedding was organised. It was a wedding that I loved. I loved the flowers, the bridesmaid dresses, the shoes, the table plan, the guests... and most importantly, I loved the Groom. And all these things- all these enticements- led me to this place... this institution. I was most definitely lured!
Beyond the wedding day (the entrance to the after-life!) is the marriage. Marriage is an institution of the craziest kind. It asks you to go outside your comfort zone and to work harder on a relationship than you ever have before. It asks that you put yourself to one side. It asks that you leave the comfort of parental love and cleave to someone who doesn't "have" to love you.
Fortunately for me, I am facing this craziness with my best friend. We entered this place together and we're going to survive it together. We certainly contribute our own little strange and quirky elements. Perhaps it's even us that make it an institution? I guess I'm going to just keep learning more and more during my time "inside"! I'm certainly going to be here for a long time... forever, in fact!
Well, I better get up and go and start preparing our first meal in the Institution. Wish me luck!!!
