Great Expectations
Funny isn't it how real life never quite measures up to what you had expected from it. The first time I travelled outside of the country I had expected it (western europe to be precise) to be a different world. Well that didn't quite pan out. It was different in the sense that it was cleaner and better ordered. Maybe not as crowded. But that was about it. The skies didn't part and the earth did not, in fact, shake. Be that as it may I learnt my lesson. Life will underwhelm you when you expect to be overwhelmed and it will overwhelm you when you didn't expect anything.
All this comes out because two very dear friends of mine are "in the process" of getting married. It's a Punjabi wedding, so process is exactly the right term. Once again, the skies failed to part, and the earth, she just stood stoically still. People still keep telling me that marriage is about as normal as anything else in life. Somehow though, I can't come to terms with waking up and going to sleep next to the same person for the rest of one's life. Especially because this is a person whom you haven't really known throughout your life (in most cases anyway). But then I suppose that's the whole point. Trust is what most external relationships are built upon and I guess one could learn to see marriage as a more enduring sort of friendship. Indeed I hope that is how my two friends see the whole thing.
So you guys, this is the tribute I couldn't give you guys last night because there were far too many people around. I hope that the two of you together form more than the sum of two persons. I hope that this union between the two of you will enrich your life and the lives of those around you. I hope that your marriage, your family will in time become the sort of anchor that floatsam like me can anchor itself to. I hope, very fervently, that the two of you make this work so brilliantly that it makes me proud to be your friend.
P.S.:Ooh, and I hope that you always invite me to your house every Sunday for lunch and video games :D
All this comes out because two very dear friends of mine are "in the process" of getting married. It's a Punjabi wedding, so process is exactly the right term. Once again, the skies failed to part, and the earth, she just stood stoically still. People still keep telling me that marriage is about as normal as anything else in life. Somehow though, I can't come to terms with waking up and going to sleep next to the same person for the rest of one's life. Especially because this is a person whom you haven't really known throughout your life (in most cases anyway). But then I suppose that's the whole point. Trust is what most external relationships are built upon and I guess one could learn to see marriage as a more enduring sort of friendship. Indeed I hope that is how my two friends see the whole thing.
So you guys, this is the tribute I couldn't give you guys last night because there were far too many people around. I hope that the two of you together form more than the sum of two persons. I hope that this union between the two of you will enrich your life and the lives of those around you. I hope that your marriage, your family will in time become the sort of anchor that floatsam like me can anchor itself to. I hope, very fervently, that the two of you make this work so brilliantly that it makes me proud to be your friend.
P.S.:Ooh, and I hope that you always invite me to your house every Sunday for lunch and video games :D