Wind In My Head: Retiring from Active Duty
Wind In My Head
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Retiring from Active Duty
I just realised that after 3 days back from Sydney, I haven't really blogged much about what we did in Sydney. So here goes.There was the wedding. The only wedding that I've been to where every other person got sun burnt and this was not a beach wedding. It was also at this wedding that I realised why wedding gown designers asked where you were getting married before designing your wedding gown. Some gowns are just not meant for garden weddings, especially in summer with all the insects in full force.
Packrat commented that we looked like little monkeys picking off fleas from one another while we were doing that. Yeah, insects, twigs and layers of chiffon do not go. Truthfully, when I wore the gown 3 years ago, I had no idea it was so compelling and inviting for the little winged pests.
But at the end of the day, the trapsing through the gardens and escaping the customary maid of honour speech, it was good fun. However, I have decided that this is the last wedding I'm going to do as matron of honour. I've done, I think, 4 or 5 weddings. Thankfully, most of them as matron of honour and not the maid of honour. So, I've escaped the "three times bridesmaid, never a bride" curse. It is always nice being part of the bridal party, but I think it'll also be good fun to attend the wedding and not have to worry about the bride and her stepping all over her train while worrying at the same time that I might trip on my own.
It's been an honour to be part of the bridal party for some of my best friends and like dancers who retire from the stage at the height of their careers, I think I shall do the same. Not when I've tripped on the flower girl and fallen headlong down the aisle. Packrat still thinks I should go into the business of organising weddings for people. I don't know really. We've been talking a whole lot about alternative career ideas and we've just come back from dinner with some friends; one of whom has a Masters in Media Communications and is actually doing his second year of apprenticeship to be a carpenter, so anything's possible I guess.
Holidays are nice because we actually have time to think and talk about things like that. At home, we're just concerned about getting through the day and we don't realise how little time we have to stop and smell the roses until we leave it all and put some distance between us and work.
Ondine tossed this thought in at 21:24