dude(s). it’s been Too Long.
so i sent a link to this domain to a more or less complete stranger the other day, and this of course led to me taking an extended wander through the archives, wondering what kind of impression all the years of nonsense and detritus and random observations could possibly give of me. what i found surprised me: a lot of nonsense and detritus, sure, but some touching moments as well, and some reminders of things i’ve forgotten to think about for a long time.
mainly, especially looking further back, i was reminded that i didn’t used to think i had to have something Important to say. i wonder when that changed, and why. i mean, if i’m going to have a vanity corner on this here magickal interweb, then fuck it, i should be able to say whatever strikes my fancy, right? and not wait for blinding flashes of inspiration or similar.
so it occurs to me that i might write a little something. and it just so happens that i have recently attended a Big Fat Fabulous Greek Wedding.
i haven’t been to that many weddings, but i’ve been to a fair few. and (boys and girls, you will please forgive what i’m about to say) because most of my friends are men, i’ve often had an awkward little moment, just before embracing and congratulating the happy couple, of godihopeshe’sgoodenoughforyou. not this time.
the groom, granted, is the one i know better, but the bride is equally spectacular. and the way they worked together – the generosity with their time (and sleep schedules) and planning and logistics and putting together a weekend where we could all actually spend quality time with them – was unprecedented. and then there’s the day itself, which they designed with their own four talented and loving hands…
the ceremony took place outside a tiny tiny church on a tiny tiny island in the harbour at vathy, ithaka. the priest was a madman who told jokes about jesus and spoke exactly zero words of english. the crowd was a broad mix of miscreants and tearful family and the rice throwing was apparently a good deal less brutal than it might have been. someday i will get around to posting the photos.
the party afterward was epic. usually at these things, you get passable food in a fairly nice venue, and lowest-common-denominator music, and the booze sort of holds it all together until someone falls over on the dance floor and everyone else (probably suddenly envisioning themselves in the same boat) more or less spontaneously disbands. but this time, the music was a brilliant mix of coolness and cheese, the food was delicious, the setting (in an olive grove, next to the beach, under a million and one stars) was idyllic, and the dancing was…honestly, i’ve never seen better dancing, on the whole, at a wedding. i’ve only rarely seen better dancing anywhere. at some point, an unspoken critical mass point was reached and we all swapped our nice togs for swimming gear and jumped into the water to cool off under the crazy canopy of stars. until we heard a track we liked, at which point we would clamber dripping back to the dance floor to shake it some more. the night ended, after the last goodbyes, with a small group watching the sunrise from 20 meters out. i was floating in the bay until the sun came up over the hills.
it was great to see everyone – language barrier notwithstanding – including those whom i used to see every day in london. we have a fabulous week of swimming, boating, boozing, breaking of toes, bizarrely bad mosquito bites, and lots and lots of love. it was great. it was easy. it was the way things are supposed to be, maybe. and it was all because of k & m.
so, if you’re reading this: thanks, guys. from the bottom of my heart.