Down in old Madison

The wife awoke yesterday with a hoarse, yet almost recovered voice for the first time in 10 days. I was at about 80 percent. The day was was gorgeous, so I wrapped my neck in tie and the wife pulled on a dress and we headed to attend a wedding in deep southern Indiana at Clifty Falls State Park. The wedding was an outdoor affair overlooking the majestic Ohio River. It was a perfect mid-seventies, sunny late fall afternoon as the couple said their vows.

We have know the groom since the day he was born. He lived around the corner from us and the young man’s mother s one of my wife’s oldest friends. The groom is a few months older than my youngest and the boys grew up together. 

At the reception they did the dance thing where all of the married people take to the dance floor. Then couples are asked to leave in reverse order, starting with the newlyweds until only the longest-married couple remains. Lo and behold, as the DJ called for everyone married less than 35 years to leave, there were only two couples left: we and the grooms’ aunt and uncle. The other couple exited at 36 years. It was the wife and I left on the dance floor as the longest-married couple in attendance. As the crowd cheered, the wife looked deep in my eyes. She smiled and said “thirty-eight years, boy you are old”. Of course she laughed. 

It was good to see old friends and acquaintances. The wife talked and visited while I listened to the music. I had but one beer since we had a two hour drive back home. In all, it was a good time.