Our ride into the campground
Wikipedia defines Wedding as, “The fusing of two metals with
the use of intense heat, forming a permanent bond.” What a great definition. I
made my rounds and received a lot of hugs and handshakes. But this day wasn’t about
me or any kind of reunion that I was going through, it was about this couple
getting married. So, we would need a priest. Fortunately, our mutual friend,
Curt, had himself ordained as an Admiral Cardinal, or something very similar,
of an unknown religion which probably does not exist. It was official at the
very most, and comical at least. I love it. We all sat, I guessed about a
hundred people, and the ceremony began. It was traditional as far as I remember
weddings going. People walked down the aisle, kids with flowers, people in
dresses, you know the drill. And then we all stood and turned for the
bride-to-be. It took everything I had not to go up there in her place. I don’t
think people would have been shocked or even surprised if I had, but I stayed
put even so. There was a short speech by
the “Minister”, vows were exchanged, and rings forever placed upon the fingers,
they kissed, and it was over. Time for cupcakes.
The newly married couple.
Everything from start to finish for the reception involved
some line of family or friend. The food was prepared by Sara, Curt’s girlfriend
of years, and part of what used to be the “Super Friendship Group of Friends”
which consisted of Seth, Sara, Curt, and myself. The cupcakes, I should add,
were made by the best baker I have ever met, Chelsey, Audrey’s mom. She will be
famous someday, more on that at another time. The music was played by Seth’s
dad, Steve. And the list goes on. There was a small part of me that knew I
would have been a part of this if I hadn’t made certain choices in my life, but
then this blog would never have existed, and who knows what I would have been.
Speaking of this blog, I noticed a pattern of people
commenting on how they enjoyed reading it. I’m always amazed when I find out
who’s been reading. And as it turns out, I saw a lot of you yesterday. Thank
you for the comments and compliments. I am grateful these words have had some
impact on people. And it’s reassuring to know that I’m still telling an
interesting story after all of this time, and that you want to read about my
successes, not just my prison life and past failures. I write this blog so that
maybe somehow even one person does not have to learn life’s lessons the way I
did, and I think I learned yesterday that there are people that are using this
in that way.
And just a few short hours after we arrived, we had to
leave. I made a loop around the grass and said my goodbyes. There were smiles,
laughs, and maybe a few happy tears. I promised Audrey I would go on a ride
behind the tractor with her as we left. And on the way out, slowly chugging
along the curvy dirt path, she looked at me and said, “Vince, I wish you could
live here again so I could see you all the time.” Jesus Christ, kid, you’re
killin’ me. It was that moment that I realized that this is where I belong. I’ve
known it all along, but it just seemed so distant, like all of the other parts
of my life. I absolutely love my family here, but that’s what I have here. I
may be from St. Paul, but I live and breathe Fillmore County. Those are my
people, those are my gravel roads, and that’s where I’ve always wanted to be.
Of course there would be some obstacles going back to a
place like that. Drinking is the only hobby I know of down there, but that’s
likely because I closed all other doors when I lived there. I have a while
before I decide where I’m going to live my life out, but Fountain, Audrey, made
a strong case yesterday. Rochester is sort of in the middle of that, and I’ve
had some success there, and also some miserable failures. And that’s true of
everywhere I’ve ever lived because I’m always there, and it’s always been up to
me to make the right decisions. And right now I’m doing a lot to make sure the
correct choices and actions are consistently on top of the pile. As long as I
continue to work for it, I suppose I could live anywhere.
Audrey and I
