My sister is married
Holy crap that was weird to type.
So last Thursday I flew home for my sister's wedding. I hate flying now. TSA is terrible. At Houston Bush (IAH) they were putting about every other person through the body scanner. Of course with my luck I got selected for the body scanner. Ranting about the body scanners is something for The Platypus Manifesto (do you capitalize blog names?) so I'll spare you that.
When I was informed I had to go through it initially I wanted to cooperate just because it seemed easier. Step in the booth, surrender your dignity and you can be on your way, no hassle. As the TSA employee was explaining the what it was though I just couldn't bring myself to step in the machine. I turned to the employee and said, "I opt-out" in a voice that was so full of resignation and depression that it honestly shocked me. I hadn't intended to sound that depressed.
Anyway, the employee gave me a look that was something along the lines of "it would have been easier for both of us if you didn't say that." Sorry dude, I didn't come here for a porn shoot, I came here to fly home. So he goes and marks a tally on a sheet of paper taped to the machine. If I read it correctly I was the third person to opt out that day. Not exactly a lot of people. He then gathers my belongings and takes me through the metal detector (what the heck!?! Couldn't you just put me through the metal detector and be done with it?) and in the area where everyone is putting their shoes and belts back on starts to explain how he's gonna pat me down.
"Do you have a private room or something where we can do this?" I said, again voice full of resignation.
"You want a private room?"
"Well I sure as hell don't want to be groped in public!" Now I'm starting to get angry. This is degrading. I've been through the metal detector for crying out loud! Just because I was picked for the scanner you gotta grope me!?!
"Well I have to get another person."
"You go do that."
So he goes and gets another person, they take me to a room off to the side and I get the full TSA pat down experience. I managed not to say anything else at this point, because had I said anything it probably would have gotten me in trouble. Resignation had turned into rage. Now to be fair to the TSA employees, they didn't give me a hard time. They didn't lie to me about TSA policies, and they didn't delay me beyond what was necessary for the pat down. But yeah, it wasn't fun for any of us.
But then I got on a plane and flew to Ohio. There was snow. It made me happy. I like snow. And then my sister got married. That was fun.
Oh my gosh, Saturday was such a weird day. Fun day but weird day. It was like a blast from the past how many people I saw there who I haven't seen since high school. A bunch of people from Bible Baptist Church, a bunch of family from out of state. It was cool. The reception was alright too, except the stupid DJ didn't play any ballroom dance music. Well he did, but it was during dinner. Mar mar mar. I did get two songs in with Trixi, but that was it.
And then I hung around for a few days. Wasn't too much to do. I hung out with Steven and Trixi and that was about it. Luckily I was able to get my flight changed from Wednesday evening to Wednesday morning or I would have been bored out of my mind all day Wednesday. Why'd I stay that late if I had nothing to do? Well originally Amelia was going to be there.
Cleveland's security was much better, there were separate lines for the scanner and the metal detector. My flight wasn't canceled by snow and even took off early, so life was good.
My sister is married, that's weird. Her last name isn't Fahle anymore. Sooooo strange. I'll get used to it at some point I suppose, but man, when did we all grow up? I'm not even sure I'm really living on my own yet. Feels like this is just an extended summer camp or something and I'll be back home as soon as school resumes again. I mean, I've spent all my life in school, living in the same house and all of a sudden I run away to Texas and I'm an adult? Its almost surreal. I swear one of these mornings I'm going to wake up in Ketler to find I'm late for a test or something.
I think there's a rant in here somewhere, but I'll have to flesh it out more. It'll probably end up on the Manifesto when I figure out what I'm actually wanting to rant about.
So yeah, weddings. Sooo many weddings. Maybe I'll have one of those someday. There will be better music though. I don't want to pick on my mom or my sister, but I really think some of the music didn't belong. It started out alright, but as the night went on they started playing things like "I got a feeling" and "Save a horse ride a cowboy". Songs that are about obviously immoral activities. Now the wedding ceremony itself was great. It presented very clearly just what Biblical marriage is and how it is symbolic of God's relationship with his Church. The ceremony was a great witness. But its witness was hindered and possibly even destroyed by the reception. I can see a non-believer sitting in the ceremony thinking "this is different, and interesting" whom then goes to the reception and sees a worldly reception and then thinks "oh, its all just talk, these people are the same as me."
Now I'm not picking on anyone, I'm just sharing thoughts. My sister is surely far more like Christ than I am. I do think there was a failure to act deliberately though, and I'll have to guard against the same thing at my wedding, if I'm lucky enough to ever have one anyway! I'm not against secular music, I'm just against music that is obviously profane.
For that matter I can't get behind the random movement that people call "dancing" most of the time. Dancing can be a beautiful thing, but I think beauty requires some structure. Ballroom and swing imposes a structure, and its because of that structure that a beautiful dance emerges. Two dancers spinning the box in a waltz is a beautiful sight. I can't say the same for someone dancing to "Love Shack". That type of dancing is just random, and I don't think there's any beauty in randomness.
Why do I care about beauty all of a sudden? Well that's a blog entry in and off itself. Heck its a thesis paper in and off itself but I'm convinced that beauty, truth and God are all closely related. God is truth, God is beautiful. The truth points us toward God, as does things that are beautiful.
So I think the reception should be beautiful like the ceremony is beautiful. Like the bride is beautiful. Like God is beautiful. Now that doesn't rule out secular music and it doesn't rule out dancing, but it does impose some structure to it.
But I'll stop ranting. It was a nice reception and I had fun. I just can't do anything without thinking about it.
Which perhaps is why I hate TV so much.
So last Thursday I flew home for my sister's wedding. I hate flying now. TSA is terrible. At Houston Bush (IAH) they were putting about every other person through the body scanner. Of course with my luck I got selected for the body scanner. Ranting about the body scanners is something for The Platypus Manifesto (do you capitalize blog names?) so I'll spare you that.
When I was informed I had to go through it initially I wanted to cooperate just because it seemed easier. Step in the booth, surrender your dignity and you can be on your way, no hassle. As the TSA employee was explaining the what it was though I just couldn't bring myself to step in the machine. I turned to the employee and said, "I opt-out" in a voice that was so full of resignation and depression that it honestly shocked me. I hadn't intended to sound that depressed.
Anyway, the employee gave me a look that was something along the lines of "it would have been easier for both of us if you didn't say that." Sorry dude, I didn't come here for a porn shoot, I came here to fly home. So he goes and marks a tally on a sheet of paper taped to the machine. If I read it correctly I was the third person to opt out that day. Not exactly a lot of people. He then gathers my belongings and takes me through the metal detector (what the heck!?! Couldn't you just put me through the metal detector and be done with it?) and in the area where everyone is putting their shoes and belts back on starts to explain how he's gonna pat me down.
"Do you have a private room or something where we can do this?" I said, again voice full of resignation.
"You want a private room?"
"Well I sure as hell don't want to be groped in public!" Now I'm starting to get angry. This is degrading. I've been through the metal detector for crying out loud! Just because I was picked for the scanner you gotta grope me!?!
"Well I have to get another person."
"You go do that."
So he goes and gets another person, they take me to a room off to the side and I get the full TSA pat down experience. I managed not to say anything else at this point, because had I said anything it probably would have gotten me in trouble. Resignation had turned into rage. Now to be fair to the TSA employees, they didn't give me a hard time. They didn't lie to me about TSA policies, and they didn't delay me beyond what was necessary for the pat down. But yeah, it wasn't fun for any of us.
But then I got on a plane and flew to Ohio. There was snow. It made me happy. I like snow. And then my sister got married. That was fun.
Oh my gosh, Saturday was such a weird day. Fun day but weird day. It was like a blast from the past how many people I saw there who I haven't seen since high school. A bunch of people from Bible Baptist Church, a bunch of family from out of state. It was cool. The reception was alright too, except the stupid DJ didn't play any ballroom dance music. Well he did, but it was during dinner. Mar mar mar. I did get two songs in with Trixi, but that was it.
And then I hung around for a few days. Wasn't too much to do. I hung out with Steven and Trixi and that was about it. Luckily I was able to get my flight changed from Wednesday evening to Wednesday morning or I would have been bored out of my mind all day Wednesday. Why'd I stay that late if I had nothing to do? Well originally Amelia was going to be there.
Cleveland's security was much better, there were separate lines for the scanner and the metal detector. My flight wasn't canceled by snow and even took off early, so life was good.
My sister is married, that's weird. Her last name isn't Fahle anymore. Sooooo strange. I'll get used to it at some point I suppose, but man, when did we all grow up? I'm not even sure I'm really living on my own yet. Feels like this is just an extended summer camp or something and I'll be back home as soon as school resumes again. I mean, I've spent all my life in school, living in the same house and all of a sudden I run away to Texas and I'm an adult? Its almost surreal. I swear one of these mornings I'm going to wake up in Ketler to find I'm late for a test or something.
I think there's a rant in here somewhere, but I'll have to flesh it out more. It'll probably end up on the Manifesto when I figure out what I'm actually wanting to rant about.
So yeah, weddings. Sooo many weddings. Maybe I'll have one of those someday. There will be better music though. I don't want to pick on my mom or my sister, but I really think some of the music didn't belong. It started out alright, but as the night went on they started playing things like "I got a feeling" and "Save a horse ride a cowboy". Songs that are about obviously immoral activities. Now the wedding ceremony itself was great. It presented very clearly just what Biblical marriage is and how it is symbolic of God's relationship with his Church. The ceremony was a great witness. But its witness was hindered and possibly even destroyed by the reception. I can see a non-believer sitting in the ceremony thinking "this is different, and interesting" whom then goes to the reception and sees a worldly reception and then thinks "oh, its all just talk, these people are the same as me."
Now I'm not picking on anyone, I'm just sharing thoughts. My sister is surely far more like Christ than I am. I do think there was a failure to act deliberately though, and I'll have to guard against the same thing at my wedding, if I'm lucky enough to ever have one anyway! I'm not against secular music, I'm just against music that is obviously profane.
For that matter I can't get behind the random movement that people call "dancing" most of the time. Dancing can be a beautiful thing, but I think beauty requires some structure. Ballroom and swing imposes a structure, and its because of that structure that a beautiful dance emerges. Two dancers spinning the box in a waltz is a beautiful sight. I can't say the same for someone dancing to "Love Shack". That type of dancing is just random, and I don't think there's any beauty in randomness.
Why do I care about beauty all of a sudden? Well that's a blog entry in and off itself. Heck its a thesis paper in and off itself but I'm convinced that beauty, truth and God are all closely related. God is truth, God is beautiful. The truth points us toward God, as does things that are beautiful.
So I think the reception should be beautiful like the ceremony is beautiful. Like the bride is beautiful. Like God is beautiful. Now that doesn't rule out secular music and it doesn't rule out dancing, but it does impose some structure to it.
But I'll stop ranting. It was a nice reception and I had fun. I just can't do anything without thinking about it.
Which perhaps is why I hate TV so much.