Friday Follies - U.K. Edition...
I apologise for being just a tad late this morning, but there was this wedding I just HAD to "attend".
Now, I wasn't "in" with all the PRE-wedding hype from every envisionable media source for the last several weeks...
I'm one of those "cut-to-the-chase" kind of guys...so I tuned in THIS morning to watch the festivities.
And, I have to admit that I wasn't disappointed in the least.
In fact, I had a kind of pride for being one of "those colonials"...lol.
Let's face it, when the Brits decide to hold a royal wedding, they DO indeed pull out ALL the stops!
Kate and William actually give me hope for a better world, having seen them at the altar at Westminster Abbey, and then make their way to Buckingham palace.
This is the stuff of legends, as they used to say.
And without sounding crass, or drawing a reprimand from the Missus, I have to admit that Kate Middleton (now the Duchess of Cambridge) IS (with all due respect) ...a smokin' hottie!
William is one LUCKY (you-know what)...right?
Elegance seemed to rule the day...the carriage, her gown, the Beefeaters, the service...ALL of this had the proper pomp.
Actually, I had another reason for wanting to "stand in attendance" for today's wedding...
(and I think you'll fully understand it)
I will embrace any and all occasions to see how CIVILIZED PEOPLE behave.
I have so few opportunities where we live these days, as it is.
(perhaps that's why I enjoy talking to anyone who comes to our house to fix or repair anything)
Yes, I often become THAT starved for the company of PROPER PEOPLE.
And I suppose that's also why I come to enjoy grocery shopping on Saturdays...imagine that.
A nation, city, town, or borough should be a place of VITALITY; a place where a myriad of people, cultures, and beliefs come to mingle.
Granted that in America, we have our pockets of like-minded folks, and that works for us...we seek a commonality of goals, and of hope for our future AS Americans. That has a uniqueness to it unsurpassed in ANY nation on earth.
But when certain forces conspire to strip us OF such things as liberty, integrity, and even courage, we become lessened as a nation, and even as individuals.
We cease our quest for betterment, and settle in for the mundane.
THAT is why I had to tune in to watch the royal wedding today.
I need that "reminder" of what civilization is, aside from within our four walls.
I need that reassurance that people ELSEWHERE can come together in a kinder spirit to celebrate something important to them.
And I need to see how people truly LIVE their life, and not merely meander through it aimlessly and without purpose.
That becomes the inspiration that I need to stay my course, and re-enforce MY belief in the HUMAN condition.
I think many of us need that "bump" from time to time.
We see the level of complacency or apathy swirling about us from others who might have strayed from life's path, and we try NOT to be compelled to follow suit. We may even try to urge those others to move from their "comfort zone" and back onto life's trail, where they need to be.
Yes, THAT is why I tuned into the wedding today.
I understand that Kate is the first "commoner" to stand on the balcony of Buckingham since Winston Churchill, and is the first to enter the monarchy family.
Score one for "our" side, eh?
Still, I have to admit to being a bit awestruck by it all.
Being a former choir member (and yes, we DID have choirs THAT far back...lol), I was loving the vocal arrangements for the Abbey's music.
I've always been one of those people that so appreciates the architecture and acoustics within the walls of any decent sized church.
After attending a few high masses (back in Philly) at S.S. Peter & Paul along the Franklin Parkway, all I can add , is that if you ever have the chance to go to a big, honking church for a REAL service...GO. Even if it's not YOUR particular denomination (or religion).
You will not go away without a better sense of who God really is, after hearing the music and voices carry throughout the place.
As I say, it's all about being CIVILIZED.
And, in a civilized society, that kind of works out REAL conveniently, doesn't it?
So, you can appreciate my "predicament" down here in Fort Wayne's societal underbelly (actually, more like a CROTCH).
Far be it for me to detract from today's wedding celebration in England...
I find it all too wonderful to behold...and yeah, I'm an old-fashioned romantic when it comes to affairs such as these.
The RAF fly-over with the Lancaster, Hurricane and Spitfire brought a lump to this person's throat. Yeah...I'm a romantic.
And I also consider myself to be more than a bit of an IDEALIST.
(and that often plays hell with my evolving cynicism...LOL)
I hearken back to that famous saying:
"I see things not as they are and ask 'why?'...I see things as they could be and ask 'why not?'..."
Perhaps we need to remind ourselves of who said that and why it was spoken...
And maybe that should be the phrase of this day...not for some, but for ALL of us.
Why not, hmm?
So, I wish the newlywed couple the very best that God and life has to offer them. May they seek guidance and wisdom from above and from those with such gifts to freely give to them.
May they be blessed beyond their years together.
Have yourselves a fantastic weekend, and take a moment to please say a prayer for those throughout our South who have suffered with those terrible storms this past week, and if possible, send a gift of love to those devastated by the weather there.
Remember...even a little bit goes a very long way when it comes to charity.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and as always...
Stay safe out there, America.