weddings: Philadelphia Metropolis

The Case of the Crumbling Shoes

Best of VoxPop» On Christmas Eve day, as I was getting out of the car, I noticed an odd-looking thing on the ground: an oval plastic pillowy thing a little smaller than a credit card. It turned out to be the inner heel cushion from the Nike boots I was wearing. They looked fine when I put them on in the morning, but now the heel had separated into a top slice and a bottom, spitting out the air cushion that had been imprisoned inside. An hour or so later, the other heel started flapping and disgorged its cushion. Next, the front of one sole started flapping like a clown shoe. All day, everywhere I went, I left a Hansel-and-Gretel-like trail of black crumbles as the bottoms of my shoes continued to disintegrate. (Comments)

Invitation to a Wedding

By Rich Rubin» As states begin the trickle-up to "domestic partnership" for gay couples, I can't help but think of a moment years ago. It was a day like any other, and as the mail came shooting through my slot, I plowed through bills and restaurant offers and assorted other garbage. As I slit open one envelope, however, I found inside a wedding invitation from my friend Mike. I immediately felt something odd. Was it the fact that I, a gay man, was being asked to participate in a ritual I would never have the chance to celebrate for myself? At the time, it seemed a fantasy that a state would actually make gay marriage, or anything similar to it, legal. (Comments)

Dogs in Tuxes at a Wedding

By Roz Warren» How do you feel about dogs being part of a wedding ceremony? If you're a dog person, you're probably thinking, "Great idea!" If you aren't, it's apparently like suggesting that aardvarks or squirrels be included in the wedding party. A likely response is, "Why on earth would anyone want to do that?" From personal experience, I can tell you why. My son and his girlfriend are crazy about Jack, their Bichon Frise, so when they told me they were engaged, I joked, "I can't wait to see Jack in a tux!" Little did I know that the kids wouldn't dream getting of married without including not only Jack, but Jack's (Comments)

Divorce Done Right

By Andrea Hansley Smith » A happy divorce? Is that an oxymoron? Perhaps. But only if you equate 'happily ever after' with matrimony. Marriage isn't always 'magic' and divorce isn't always 'tragic'. They both require a lot of hard work. Just because your marriage didn't work out doesn't mean your divorce can't. What my husband and I failed to find in marriage we've successfully managed to achieve in divorce. Harmony. We get along so much better now that we don't live under the same roof. When he visits the kids I'm always happy to see him come and that's mainly because I know he'll be going. That's the beauty of our present circumstances. I jokingly tell him: "Don't leave thinking you're not wanted and don't come back thinking that you are." (Comments)

In Richness and in Wealth

By Patricia McLaughlin Long skirts seem like a good idea in the spring, when you still haven't gotten around to figuring out the whole fake-tan thing. So the other day, when I came across a long, strikingly pretty skirt... (Comments)