I was in Grand Rapids, albeit briefly, this weekend. My mom and aunts were planning a bridal shower for my cousin, Allory, the first of us cousins to get married. For the past three months, every call home made me privy to every. single. detail. of bridal-shower-planning splendor.  My mom spent so much time and energy on it, but part of me suspects she really enjoys it.  Anyway, that was the main reason I was home.

Alas, due to my socially paralyzing quarter-life crisis over the holidays, I hadn’t seen any of my hometown friends in ages.  Jody invited me out Saturday night to Founders Brewing Company downtown, and, even though I had to be up hella early for the shower on Sunday, I went.  Mom attempted to make me feel guilty for this, which was very 2002 of her.  (She’d always make me feel bad about going out with my friends when I was home from college, even though my parents are in bed by ten.)  We had an awesome time — I drank raspberry beer! Jody knew the band playing – this really cool funk/soul group named Revision from Ithaca.  Very cool guys.  We danced.  A few beers later, out of NOWHERE, I ran into Seth B. Doe , whom I probably hugged many times, because I had a heavy buzz, and seriously, what are the chances?! (of him and I running into each other, not of me being drunk…the chances of that are quite good).  I would also like to mention that I pulled in a number that night from an art student named Giovanni who said, sliding his number across the table, “I like dating Leo women.” I was not drunk, but I was certainly not sober, and I somehow ended up getting lost in my own hometown, missing an exit and heading towards Holland.  [Many of you don't know where that is, which is okay, because next time I see you I will just show you on my hand.]  With the time change, I didn’t get to bed until 4 am.  I woke up at 7.

I helped set up for the shower – putting up tables, decor, making punch.  I was more excited than anything else that I was asked to photograph the event and my dad let me use his professional NIKON F5! ZOMG! Photog wannabe!

I love my family.  I love spending time with my aunts and grandma and cousins and meeting new people.  I love that my cousin is getting married and I love the guy she is getting married to.  That said, I do not love the whole wedding/shower thing.  No, actually I like going to showers and weddings.  I’m happy to celebrate important events in people’s lives, and I know it’s traditional and I support that.  In the end, it doesn’t matter because it’s not about me, at all, is it? I just don’t seem to get crazy excited about it like other women do.  I just can’t coo over hand towels and stand mixers and whatnot.  I can’t get into the centerpieces, the crepe and taffeta.  Maybe someday.  Maybe not.

I’ll tell you what is priceless:  a few of my aunt’s work friends who got totally hammered on bridal-shower sangria on a Sunday afternoon in Rockford, Michigan.  That is so me in twenty years.