Ten years ago today my wonderful wife Jodi did something she didn't really want to do...go through a wedding. Now I am not saying she didn't want to get married, on the contrary she actually begged me just a few weeks earlier to cancel the wedding and fly to vegas or just go to a jp and get hitched. You see the wedding was something that I wanted to go through, for one because I wanted to see all of our friends and hang out with them, but mainly if I am honest with myself it is because I was afraid of my mom.
I had a lot still to learn at 22 years old (still do at 32). But one thing I hadn't quite gotten over is standing up to my parents. I knew I wanted to get married to Jodi for a long time before we actually got married. I had actually planned on getting married right after I graduated in May and just trying to scrape by in a ramshackle apartment before I started work that fall. But I couldn't get over the fact that when I told my parents that I was going to ask Jodi to marry me that their initial reaction wasn't excitement and thrills but rather shock and reasons why I should wait. That crushed me. I didn't know what to do...I still was searching who I really was and didn't want to disappoint them. I also knew my mom would freak out if we didn't have a wedding.
When the 32 year old me looks back at the deflated 21 year old in the best western by the mall of abiliene I want to just tell him to stand up and say, "well thanks for your input, but this is what I am going to do...you can either be bitter or get happy about it" and tell him to follow his heart.
Thankfully for me, my wife is very understanding, and she was willing to put up with me cowtowing to my parents demands. Because she knew the end result...no matter when it was or how we got married...we would be married and that was the goal - for both of us. We were fully committed to each other and knew it.
I can't thank her enough for putting up with all the crud that surrounded us getting married and I can't thank her enough for putting such effort to make something she had no interest in initially one of the most special days of my life.
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So after that sappy few paragraphs let me lighten the mood with some wedding day memories and ramifications of getting married on the 4th of Jan.
Jodi had worked it out to put up the entire wedding party in some ranch houses outside of town. So the morning of the wedding I drove into town while everyone was still dragging around to get up and bought everyone lunch at DQ - classic texas.
We did so much stuff because that was the "thing to do" - what lemmings - like hire a video guy. Just so happens that they showed up in shorts and t-shirts. very classy.
The Kid basically walked jodi down the isle. I can't remember where he was staying but I see jodi coming down with her parents and then over her shoulder I get a glimpse of the Kid standing in the door way and he gives me a knowing wave...made it just in time. Hope you enjoyed that ticket from the state trooper on the way back home.
My good friend wags and his wife asked us after the wedding how we were getting to the reception...then we realized we had no idea. So we hopped in their rental car for the drive over.
In all of our reception pictures when we are leaving there is a large "Open for Lunch" sign over the entrance to the hotel.
I also remember my mom saying that we would be lucky to not have it freezing cold and icy (always the optimist), but it was a beautiful texas winter day.
And one other piece of advice...if you are in accounting/financial reporting choosing a wedding date that is right after the close of the year does not mesh well with your career responsibilities.
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Thanks again Jodi for ten wonderful official married years...and the many before!
