Tuesday, September 26, 2017

I think I saw the future

The Spousal Unit and I recently took a long road trip (11 hours of driving, which I did, but that's another story) to get to Pennsylvania for a family event.

Normally we wouldn't make the effort. This was the SU's niece's wedding and everyone would have understood if we didn't get there -- long trip, expensive, etc. But some other family members wouldn't be there and we thought the fam would be under-represented, so we made the journey. And I'm glad we did.

The Bride is white; the Groom is black. The audience was a mix of all races and creeds, as was the wedding party. The Father of the Bride (FOB) and Mother of the Bride (MOB) are divorced (and that's another story for another time), and not amiably. The MOB had her boyfriend there, which peeved the FOB to no end. Not to be outdone, the FOG (Father of the Groom) and MOG are divorced. The FOG's new wife was there as was the MOG's boyfriend.

Our family is very J C Penney; the Groom's family is very haute couture. I saw women wearing jewels, sheath gowns, high-heeled shoes that defied imagination. And I saw folks in black pants, a pretty blouse and flats (me) with costume jewelry purchased at Target for the occasion.

And you know what? We all got along. There were a few bumps: people didn't adhere to the seating chart for the reception, but we just gently reminded folks that there was assigned seats and no, you can't sit there. We were all forced to mingle and get acquainted, and we did. The Bride and Groom were so obviously happy that it spilled over onto everyone else. I chatted with folks from the deep South who were truly curious about the Midwest and I gave advice to someone seeking publication who was so amazed to meet me -- a published author!

People danced together and forgave small faux pas and were gracious to each other. I think at first we did so because we wanted Their Day to be special, but by the time the dancing got started, we were all truly on the same page. We really aren't that different when you sit down and look at it.

So let's raise a glass to diversity and civility -- it can exist in our world as long as we're willing to reach across the aisle and shake hands.

J L
(jayellwilson.com)

7 comments:

Margo Hoornstra said...

Well said, JL. We are all in this together, and all so much more alike then we sometimes realize, or some care to admit.

Leah St. James said...

Ditto what Margo said. Sounds like a wonderful family time!

Rolynn Anderson said...

JL, I'm so glad you went, had a good time and met some nice people. In the name of civility, I'll bet politics was a no-no topic, but you (and I) would be interested in how the politics shook out in that group. More seriously, is there any woman who is truly comfortable in those high-heeled shoes?

Jannine Gallant said...

Civility is key. I don't see a lot of it on Facebook, so it's nice to know different groups still look for commonalities when they get together in person. I'm glad you had a nice time!

Diane Burton said...

I'm glad you had a good time and that you're happy you drove so far to be there for the bride & groom. Diversity can be a touchy subject for some. For the rest of us, underneath the trappings of clothes, skin color, culture, we're all the same. It sounds like everyone wanted the wedding to be about the bride & groom.

Brenda whiteside said...

Amen!

Alicia Dean said...

Sounds like an awesome time. So great that everyone came together for the sake of the new couple. LOL, the FOG, MOB, etc stories sound interesting...maybe you'll dish on another post? :D