This is the time of life when everyone is getting married and having children. Many of my friends are getting married or they are planning their upcoming weddings. Well this past summer, two of my good friends were getting married. It was in the summer and the weather was nice.
The day of the wedding I had to work at my other job and had other work that needed to be done in the morning. It was crazy. I really was on the fence as to weather I was going to attend or not. I had little to no money to my name. It felt like I should back out. At the same time I love these two and all of my friends that would be in attendance. Not only did I not want to look like a jerk for not attending the wedding, I did not want anyone to suspect that my life was crumbling to pieces around me. Soon I could be that asshole at the end of the off ramp with a cardboard sign asking for money because I had lost everything.
After work, I decided it would not be right to skip the wedding. The timing was tight… I did not have time to go do laundry due to poor planning. I stopped on the way to buy a collared shirt, pants, and the essentials. Then I was off for the two hour cycling journey north to the Lakes Region. I was relying on my GPS to navigate me to the hotel where we would all be staying. Google Maps for cycling is a little iffy. There were times when my non-mountain bike was taken way off road. It was rough and I ended carrying my bike and running to the closest form a pavement I could find.
My legs were exhausted by the time I arrived but I arrived with enough time to get a room at the hotel, shower and then make it on time for the service. It really was crazy. Then after the service I realized that I did not pick up a card or gift for the bride and groom. What the hell was I thinking… Not that I had any room in my backpack but it was completely not cool and I felt like a complete asshole.
I could not shake it. The whole evening, all I could think about was that I was the asshole that did not remember a gift. I should have just made up an excuse that I was extremely ill and sent a gift.
Everyone was interested/thinking I was borderline crazy for cycling to the wedding, including the hotel staff. I guess it was good conversation. It was so nice to celebrate with such great friends from all over the U.S.
I am the loser friend. Time to get it together….