Thursday, February 15, 2007

Wedding Plans

No, not mine. And not related to Valentine's day - I was talking to my boss today while waiting for the plane home, and we got onto the subject of friends' weddings, and how they can be the most wonderful or terrible events, just based on a few easy-to-manage variables.

Now, here's the thing you need to not just know but really believe before you read further. I am not anti-social. I like meeting people. I love having people in my home. I love to get to know people, and to care for my friends.

But I am not a big fan of mixing circles. Circles are nice and round and complete just the way they are. If you combine them carefully, you may get a kind of funny-looking 8, but usually you just get a mess.

Do you remember the Seinfeld where George's work friends are going to meet his "regular" friends, and he's concerned that, at the moment of impact of these two universes, he may somehow cease to exist? Well, I think George was a wise man. Maybe less than rigorous in his personal hygiene, but George has some things to say that we need to hear.

So, when you invite me to your wedding, let me sit with the people I know and love. I don't want to meet your Uncle Leroy. And I'm pretty sure that there is someone he would rather be with than me, too. I'm probably never going to see your childhood friends from Ecuador again, and while I'm sure they're lovely people, I want to be with my friends. Now I know - it's not my wedding... it's not all about me. And I can appreciate that. But I also know that you'll have a better time knowing I'm having a good time, and that is not going to happen when everyone else at my table is speaking Dutch. So please... let's just let the circles live, okay? Anyone else with me on this?

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