Monday, October 30, 2017

Fluid Properties

Saturday evening, Reverend Kip Gilts and I co-officiated Jenn and Ian’s wedding ceremony at Moffitt Oaks, in Tomball, Texas. Here are the remarks I shared with them and their guests:
I ask every person I marry to write an autobiographical essay. I think Jenn is the first person who included the title of her thesis. Don’t get me wrong; it does sound like a page-turner: the Influence of Fluid Properties on Geometric Complexity and Breakdown Pressure of Hydraulic Fracture. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to read it...
 
Seriously, though, this title might surprise you, once you discover that she started off as an English major. She says she was in it for the money. (Not really.) Interestingly, the way she started dating Ian reminded me of Pride and Prejudice, just the other way around.
 
I, unlike Jenn, never studied English that seriously, so my understanding of that book is largely based on the acclaimed BBC miniseries. One of the themes that comes up again and again is the complex set of rules surrounding asking people out. And, of course, we heartily laugh at the wacky situations that result from those arcane ways.
 
Except, we do the same today too! Listen to Jenn: "I met Ian when he was working at the corporate fitness center at Noble. The group I was in at the time worked until 6 or 6:30pm, and afterwards some of us would go to the gym to blow off steam from the long workday. Ian and I would have casual conversations when he’d be at the front desk, and we always made each other laugh. Eventually I started taking longer in the locker room after the workouts so that we could talk more as he was closing up the gym and we’d walk together to our cars. I could tell that he was enjoying this, because he would nervously talk nonstop, and he also does a high-pitched laugh when he’s happy/nervous. I figured that he probably wasn’t allowed to make a move because of his job, so after a few weeks of this I gave him my phone number..."

Another theme in Pride and Prejudice is the utter and non-ironic seriousness with which the characters take themselves, and with which they feel a need to present themselves. We, as the audience, get to laugh at this, because we never do that, right? Well, this is not a humorous statement when it comes to Jenn and Ian!

Listen to Ian, "​I desire to marry Jenn because I truly believe she is my perfect match and soul mate. We complement each other in almost every way. Things I am not great at she is great at and vice-versa. We have different personalities in a lot of ways but we both view that as a good thing. Dating ourselves would never work. I love her quirks and oddities, the things she is passionate about and the things she does not like. She makes me laugh constantly and also laughs at my jokes (or just at me in some cases). She keeps me on my toes."

Now, there is one other important theme in Pride and Prejudice, as well as in modern adaptations of it, like Bollywood's Bride and Prejudice or Hollywood's Bridget Jones' Diary. Most of the characters' neurotic behavior has to do with the fact that they live entirely in the future, and not in any positive way. They spend most of their time worrying about what will be, and assuming the worst. This is an area where these fictional characters could really learn from this very real couple.

Listen to Jenn, as she looks back on the entirety of their love story. This really needs no further commentary from me: "Ian took me on fun and thoughtful dates, and pretty soon into seeing each other I could tell he was something special. He has this fun-loving and easy-going nature that I admire so much, and he’s so passionate about everything he does. It’s rare to see someone who is equally laid back and passionate about life. He’s taught me that it’s okay to relax and not rush things, because you miss out on the entire experience in the process. Being with Ian has helped me enjoy and appreciate more of the individual moments, rather than just focus on the end game. I’ve never been a big risk taker because I’ve always been afraid of not knowing how things would turn out. But when I’m with Ian I’m not afraid of the unknown – I’m excited."

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