The mariner attended a wedding the other day. The entire wedding party (10) was in their late twenties and early thirties. It was not a splashy ceremony; there were no flowers, no tuxedos, and no flamboyance of the kind we are accustomed to seeing. Music was from a CD although a guitarist and soloist performed two numbers.

It was two large families plus a number of guests who made a long trip to the church. The tone of the families and the wedding party was subdued but committed to the couple. They showed contentment that this event was happening but the parents were not exuberant; the grandparents were pleased but quiet. The mariner saw in the eyes of the families a weariness. Weariness not related to the wedding but to strife, to the burden of working class people across a lifetime. There had been divorces in both families.

The mariner is pleased to believe the match is a good one. The marriage will last. He wonders whether our society will let them lead a life of personal growth, financial opportunity, and the chance to feel successful.

Once the wedding was over, everyone relaxed a bit and socialized for a half hour while many took pictures of the wedding participants. The wedding was an event, not a ceremony. The mariner believes, though, that things are better now. Like most weddings, there is a new chapter in the life of the bride and groom – especially for this bride.

Ancient Mariner