feminish

I returned to that small corner of the planet called Home this weekend, for a wedding.

Suffolk has billowing huge skies, so enormous my mind heaves open under the expanse, gaping and empty, and I feel calm. Some people say Suffolk’s got flat land; I say it’s got big skies (and mumble ‘Gainsborough and Constable‘ at them).

In one of the speeches, the uncle of the (high-achieving) bride implored her to ’support, respect and love’ her new husband. Which is probably fair enough and a nice combo of words, but for the fact that, turning to the groom, Uncle exhorted him only to ‘love, cherish and treasure’ his new bride. I winced. Looking around for moral support I found it in the bride’s indignation (mostly at the word ’support’) and the hmmmm-ing of the young lasses at my table (phew).

How can it happen? Everything is going so well: girl’s got a stunning education, a CV as long and glittering as her veil, and a formidable determination to realise her potential - and then, Bam! Bang splat in the middle of the party there’s a patriarchal custard pie, out of nowhere.

I returned to that small corner of the planet called Home this weekend, for a wedding.

Suffolk has billowing huge skies, so enormous my mind heaves open under the expanse, gaping and empty, and I feel calm. Some people say Suffolk’s got flat land; I say it’s got big skies (and mumble ‘Gainsborough and Constable‘ at them).

In one of the speeches, the uncle of the (high-achieving) bride implored her to ’support, respect and love’ her new husband. Which is probably fair enough and a nice combo of words, but for the fact that, turning to the groom, Uncle exhorted him only to ‘love, cherish and treasure’ his new bride. I winced. Looking around for moral support I found it in the bride’s indignation (mostly at the word ’support’) and the hmmmm-ing of the young lasses at my table (phew).

How can it happen? Everything is going so well: girl’s got a stunning education, a CV as long and glittering as her veil, and a formidable determination to realise her potential - and then, Bam! Bang splat in the middle of the party there’s a patriarchal custard pie, out of nowhere.