I went to a friend’s wedding this past weekend in Springfield, Missouri. It was a small wedding, about 60 people. It was a lovely Jewish ceremony with plenty of “universal” aspects as well. It was lovely. A little sheva brachot, a little glass-breaking, some chair-lifting, and then good old-fashioned partying.
As most of us know, a wedding is not just about the wedding, especially for the out-of-town guests. It’s about getting there, hanging out before, pre-wedding dinners, and post-wedding hanging out. Here are the highlights of my weekend.
1. I drove from Chicago with one of my closest friends to the wedding. That meant 10 hours of singing at the top of our lungs, catching up on our lives in person rather than by phone, and crappy roadside food of which there is not much of for vegans, but I figured it out. We were like teenagers on the best road trip ever. Illinois and Missouri are not terribly exciting to drive through, but we made it exciting with our laughing and story-telling and pontificating about the meaning of life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. And dating. We talked about dating a lot. Sigh.
2. Saw “Wolverine.” Not the best X-Men movie, but a lot of fun. I get very emotional in those kinds of movies and I cried three times. I love that it was set in Japan, I love how incredible Hugh Jackman’s body was–as THE CHARACTER, people. As THE CHARACTER. He looked straight out of a comic book. That’s the point, right? Right.
3. I shot some good pool and played lots of 90s tunes on the jukebox at a local bar, singing along as appropriate. The bar was pretty empty and I went unrecognized so that was good. I have always shot pool lefty, and since my accident a year ago impaired my right hand and I can’t do a lot with it, it’s good I can still shoot pool!
4. I freaked out a lot of Springfield folks who could not figure out why Amy Farrah Fowler from “The Big Bang Theory” was at their restaurant. Also freaked out the staff of “PFI,” Missouri’s largest Western store (who knew?!). My friend took about an hour to decide to buy some awesome cowboy boots so the people working there had plenty of time to observe me and ask if I’ve come there a lot, if they knew me from somewhere else, etc. I think they figured it out by the time we left.
5. The band at the wedding was a local 80s tribute band called Members Only. The clips on their site do not even do them justice. They played non-stop every awesome 80s song at full performance value and full intensity for hours. I resisted dancing (since I am pretty shy) but once they started with “Bust A Move,” I was putty in their hands. It was so much fun and they played their hearts out. They were amazing!
As a public person, it’s increasingly more and more awkward for me to blend in, especially at small events, and especially in places that are not used to famous people randomly walking around. I always felt different, though. Even as a kid, even as a teenager, even when I wasn’t a public person. So I have to remind myself that my awkwardness isn’t just that I am on TV; it’s that I’m the kind of person for whom social interactions are exhausting and intimidating, and it’s okay.
I had a real blast in Springfield, and I wish much mazel for the bride and groom. I hope that if they have a baby and I am invited back for a bris or baby naming or even a bar or bat mitzvah in many years that Members Only will be there too. Because for the rest of my life, I may not be able to attend a party without me being able to Bust A Move.
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