Lovers in a Dangerous Time

I crashed a wedding the other day.  I've never crashed a wedding before, but these are weird times and weird things are bound to happen.  

I was going on a walk just for fun, as opposed to braving the elements to do some errands.  Due to frigid temperatures and super-slippery sidewalks, it had been more than a week since I'd walked for the sheer joy of it.  The sun shone brightly after many grey days as the temperature climbed up to three degrees C.  It was a small and welcome blessing in the middle of a c-19 winter.  

I came upon the wedding after an hour or so of easy walking.  A handful of people were gathered on the sidewalk gazing upward at the house in front of them.  I followed their collective gaze to the second story balcony and spied a young couple holding hands and decked out in wedding attire.  A woman wedding officiator stood behind them.  I had arrived just as the ceremony was beginning.

I wondered if the ceremony had been originally scheduled for that day, because it was the first time in a while that it was warm enough to have an outdoor wedding in reasonable comfort.  It seemed as if  Mother Nature herself was giving a gift of a mild mid-winter day for their nuptials.  It also coincided with the first new moon of the new year.  It's hard to say whether that was deliberately planned or just another bit of serendipity, but whatever the case may be, it was an auspicious day to tie the knot.

I stuck around for a while to soak up the good vibes.   I kept my distance of course, as did the small group of wedding guests.  Everyone was welcoming and didn't make me feel as if I was butting in where I didn't belong.  The officiator blessed the young couple and encouraged them on their path through life together.  As I listened to her wise words I could feel tears welling up in my eyes.  Soon the tears were flowing freely.  That really surprised me, because I've never cried at a wedding before, even for family and close friends.  But there I was shedding tears for people I'd never met.  

My emotional response was a release of bottled up tension and stress created by life in the covid-19 era.  Fortunately I was crying for good and happy reasons, and not out of sadness or despair.  The sweet scene of togetherness amid all the physical separation of the last ten months brought out the best in me.  It was great to see people celebrating love, despite all the restrictions placed on gatherings for even the best reasons.  It felt like a big, fat fuck you covid-19!  And I loved it.

I'm grateful to that young couple and their friends for allowing me to be part of their special day.  And attending a wedding on the first new moon of the new year didn't go unnoticed by this sign-seeking magical thinker.  It bode well for me and everyone else who was there, even though they may not have been aware of it.  Finding love and beauty in the midst of barely-contained chaos is spiritual gold.  

Those two young lovers gave me a gift.  If it weren't for the tough times we're going through I wouldn't have chanced upon that happy occasion and cried tears of joy for two people I didn't know.  And that led me to wonder...  Is it possible that covid-19 is making me a better person?  Could be.  Like I said - weird things are happening.  

So mote it be.

- g.p.

Make Hats Great Again

All you really need in life is some fresh water, a good hat, and a really good pair of shoes.

- Shirley MacLaine

I bought myself a new hat.  I didn't need one - I have quite a few already.  But a jaunty cap always lifts my spirits, and my spirits have needed a lot of lifting lately.  Every so often I'll have a bad day for no discernable reason.  When that happens I know I'm suffering from covid fatigue, which is rather ironic, because fatigue is one of the early symptoms of covid-19.  

Come to think of it, a day doesn't go by when I don't have one of the numerous signs of the onset of c-19.  Who doesn't get a headache, or dry cough, or a runny nose every now and then? Especially in the winter? Am I supposed to worry when I go for a walk in the chilly winter air and get the sniffles?  Even though I'm still in relatively good shape, I'm weary of the shit show that the whole world is starring in. 

So I bought a bright red, hippy-happy hat.  But please know that it's not one of those red caps that ignorant rioters wear to proclaim their allegiance to a deranged, deluded megalomaniac.  My red hat restores a sense of balance for me when I'm feeling out of sorts.  It's bright and joyful, and I'd like to think other people enjoy seeing a flash of colour during the long, cold, dark days of winter as well.

That's why I'm sharing my hat with you now - in a number of guises and adorning faces that don't really need enhancement - but make me smile when I look at them wearing my hat.  I hope they make you smile, too.

Here's praying that 2021 has happier times and hats in store for us all.  

Blessed be.

- g.p.