Monday, September 16, 2019

67. Commitment and Community

We enjoyed a wedding on Saturday. I'd say we "attended" a wedding, but that verb seems way too passive for the tradition of having family and friends at a marriage ceremony to support them in their commitment to have and hold each other till death do them part. I loved that the officiating minister and rabbi both exhorted the congregation (if  "congregation" is the apt word for an outdoor ceremony in a gorgeous botanical garden) to strongly say, "Amen" (which works in both English and Hebrew) to cement the feeling of community.

The wedding was a great event, with an equally-great band (one of three flavors of live music throughout the evening). Everybody danced. At one point, when we were all free-form dancing, Pat and I did a Swing, trying to avoid rudely dancing too big in a small space. I mentioned to Pat that the dance was about everyone celebrating together as opposed to dancing well (I realize he wasn't showing off; he was simply enjoying the opportunity to dance to a good band). So, when I read an article about the Public Theater's production of Heracles, with a quote from the director, Lear deBessonet (is that a good name or what?), I felt my observation had . . . well . . . legs.

"Togetherness with other people . . . is more valuable than any kind of extraordinariness or perfection."
—Lear deBessonet, Director





































Passion Flower (Passiflora Incarnata), Wave Hill, Riverdale, New York.


(For September 15, 2019; posted September 16)

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