First and Last

My first post since my "year" was up with drinking only water. I'm sure that I will post something more on this after I've been able to think a bit about what it really meant. I can say this though. The experiment with drinking water was a personal success despite the fact that my year of water was shortened into a "year" of water by some fairly monumental life events.

The first couple weeks were incredibly hard, though easier than I had expected. I love juice, tea is such a great way to relax, coffee is one of the best things to sip on a crisp fall morning while reading at a cafe. When having Italian food a glass (or half bottle) of wine does in fact go a long way towards encouraging you to slow down and savor the meal, and beer does wonders to a barbeque chicken pizza at your favorite pizzeria. Replacing each of those drinking experiences with sipping a glass of water was hard not only from a "breaking habits" perspective, but also from a social ackwardness perspective.

Probably the single biggest frustration was the first time I wanted to go hang out with someone, but wasn't hungry and just wanted to talk. We couldn't go hang out at a coffee shop, or get tea. What else was there to do??? Over the next year I figured out how to navigate these situations, but it took some adaptation.

If you ask me what my most memorable glass of wine was I can now tell you what the date was, where I was, who was with me, and what the situation was. There is absolutely no doubt. December 31, 2006 in New York City with Amon Krist, the girl I'm going to be marrying 6 days. I know this was the most memorable glass of wine because it was the ONLY thing I drank other than water during the entire 1 "year" experiment, the only exception, the only special allowance. I figured you only get engaged once, and if that wasn't a reason for a special allowance then nothing was. I don't remember the wine, how much it cost, what it tasted like, or what variety of grape went into it. I'm fairly certain it was red.

Which brings me to the last portion of "First and Last". If there were a count down to my wedding it would read: 0 Years, 0 Months, 0 Weeks, 6 Days. You'd probably say it was cheap for not having an hours and seconds countdown, but I'd say it was just careful planning so I don't have to calculate those after I've had my first beer in a year.

Of course I won't pretend that I can put into words what I'm feeling as I approach one of the biggest days of my life. I've tried but when I look back over it all of the words seem somehow incomplete. I feel like I'm beginning a journey that I have resolved to see to the end anticipating great times of joy and happiness, as well as recognizing (as much as anyone on this end of the journey can) that there will be twists and detours that never showed up on the original plan. It's a journey that despite my resolution, I don't know what to pack, what maps to take, or what supplies I will need.

I have all of these thoughts floating around in my head begging to be put on paper, or placed on the web. I know that trying to put any one of them up would be torture to the others and besides that give an unrealistic picture of what I'm thinking right now.

That is what you get between now and the wedding date. Come celebrate with us at one of the receptions and I can tell you what it's like having taken the first step.

Until then:

The Road goes ever on and on,
down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
and I must follow if I can.
Persuing it with weary feet,
until it joins some larger way,
where many paths and errands meet,
and whither then, I cannot say.

May God bless you and keep you. May he cause His light to shine upon you.