Voyages: a wedding – the event

It is the day of the magnificent fete: we are ready! That grand thrust of humanity – the shoes to be polished, the black bowties retrieved, the pressed shirts presented, the elegant gowns displayed and the shawls admired (let us not forget the shawls) — is transmogrified from a stunning disorder into an alluring elegance. How does this occur? No one seems to know, but it just does – the miraculous comes to pass. Have you ever remarked on this? Few participants ever present themselves looking disheveled.

We arrive at the cathedral and are prepared to face the inevitable. There is a soft milling outside the portico and then we enter. Inside these immense structures, there is always a beckoning coolness. The groom waits at the altar looking like a sacrificial lamb. His nervousness is soon conveyed to all of us. I remark that my heart rate is also elevated. “What if she doesn’t arrive?” What a bizarre question I find myself asking. Soon the music begins and the bride enters. The ritual can begin.

I wonder if that is the same query on the mind of everyone for all look noticeably relieved. Ceremonies are so necessary in every culture. I read that less and less people are getting married. This is understandable in the Age of the Internet and the access to information that social media provides. It is not unlike one enormous temptation devise. There is always a potential partner who is richer, more beautiful, and more exciting. Still, the conventional is an experience that I highly recommend, having done it once. It is not unlike going to India. You hear a lot about it, but when you arrive, the experience is totally different: augments are stilled, beauty is enhanced and the world, for a brief moment, just seems like a slightly better place.

In Eastern Europe, there is a real sense that you have entered into a whole new era in your life – which I suppose you have. If you are educated, in fact, some studies suggest that your chances of actually staying married are better than if you are part of the working class. The revolutionary in me would like to rebuke that statistic, but it may be true. (1)

After the solemn church service, we transit to the beautifully decorated hall and the dance – the party can begin! This being a land of tradition, we must first eat and drink – and then dance. Now, to the health-conscious, this surely seems illogical. You would think that a full meal would make the average person slightly more lethargic and sleepy. Not so: the music begins and we explode onto the dance floor! Following the style of the modern wedding, for that is what it is, a wide range of music is played – the waltz, the tango, “the twist,” (2) the free form – all great fun. I dance with a stunningly beautiful woman with really cold hands. That is the feeling in her heart, I convince myself. That is why she quickly moves away and declines to dance anymore. We then eat again and we dance, we eat again and we dance.

I leave at 3 AM much to the disappointment of my confreres. At this kind of soiree, you are intimating age or weakness or both. My excuse is distance. I have traveled a long way to attend, so my leaving is not enjoyed but accepted. I depart for bed – to be continued. The great artist Marcel Duchamps (3) leaves us with a thought: In France, in Europe, the young artists of any generation always act as grandsons of some great man – Poussin, (4) for example, or Victor Hugo. (5) They can’t help it. Even if they don’t believe in that, it gets in their system. And so when they come to produce something of their own, the tradition is nearly indestructible.

A closing thought: Any mass collection of people is always heart-felt. You meet people that you haven’t seen for a very long time. To the fit, healthy, and happy, it is a sobering reminder that the exercise treadmill and a positive attitude to life bring long-term benefits – not only in your pocketbook.

To sum up: This week, we spoke about the wedding ceremony and how important this tradition is to our civilization.

To be noted: Never be afraid to try something new. … An amateur built an ark (6) that lasted forty days and forty nights; professionals, however, built the Titanic and it hit an iceberg and sank in about two hours.

Just for fun: Michael Jackson – Billie jean 

This week on your energetic stroll, please remark on how you feel physically and psychologically.

Every day look for something magical and beautiful

Quote: Create your own tradition: routine lasts long after passion has been expunged.

Footnotes

1) The Marriage Crisis

2) Dance Demonstration of The Twist 

3) Marcel Duchamp interview on Art and Dada 

4) Nicolas Poussin (1594–1665)

5) Victor Hugo

6) Noah 2014