More Statements for the Record

Since drawing has never been my strong suit, I’m not a doodler. When I squirm through a boring meeting or a long wait-time during a phone call, I don’t use the pen within my reach to produce intricate little sketches or cartoon figures on notepads and napkins. I make lists – which could someday become illuminating artifacts of my legacy if I ever have, say, a presidential library or a museum exhibit in my memory.

When I recently re-organized some old papers, I found a list I hammered out at age 21 or 22, enumerating the people I’d put in the (co-ed) bridal party of my future wedding. All these years later, the names on that list haven’t changed or been added to.  

That’s what I was still thinking about the other day, as I sat by my computer, waiting for an email file to come through. And it’s undoubtedly what led me to stick with the “future wedding” theme when I suddenly began drafting a lengthy and eclectic preliminary itemization of songs that absolutely must be played at the reception. At all the best weddings I’ve been a part of, it was the music (in concert with the multiple full-open-bar stations) that tipped the balance.

In the weeks leading up to their weddings, I’ve asked a number of brides whether I could expect to hear and dance to “Like a Prayer” at the reception. Every last one gave me some version of: “No, don’t count on it. A lot of older religious relatives will be there and they wouldn’t like that.”

I have religious relatives too. If any of them have a big problem when “Like a Prayer” (the first song on my current, work-in-progress playlist) streams into the air on my big day, the reception venue’s exit doors will be clearly marked and my ego won’t be shattered if they decide to knock off early.