Multitudinous

This weekend featured a wedding ceremony of two of our bandmates, who hired the marching band to play their processional and recessional music, two of the tunes we played all marching season. It was our shortest parade of the year, and very enjoyable. The ceremony moved me most when the grandfather of one of the brides stood up and spoke in their honor. This man was probably in his late 80's, and could have been a close-minded old fart like so many of his generation, but his words were elegant, intelligent, accepting, and above all, loving. I almost cried. (I'm not a big fan of wedding ceremonies). The brides skipped away, and as we finished playing, the spectators called for encores. I thought "Ladies' Night" would be fun, but they got "Copacabana" instead. After the reception, we flew to the remainder of the band's annual greeting picnic, where two other friends had brought their bocci set. I like this game immensely; it's impossible or at least pointless to be intensely competitive during its course, and the game's so random in its development and minimal structure. What a sweet end to a fine day.