Tag: reception

• December 30, 2012

  Smooth Sailing: My Toast to the Happy Couple

  

  The scene is a reception hall at the local Elks Lodge. The last light of day shimmers on the snow outside. I’m standing in front of nearly a hundred people with a microphone in one hand and a typewritten speech in the other. A groomsman holds my glass of champagne. Slowly, I begin to speak:

  Nathan is one of my oldest friends. In fact, I’ve known him so long, I can’t even remember how we met. I know it was about nine years ago when we were both in middle school and the rest is a blur. That’s how it is to be Nathan’s friend. You’re kinda just there for the ride. If you hang around him long enough, you learn that he embarks on a lot of projects. He likes to build things and tinker. And I usually end up getting dragged into them. Sometimes he wants me to learn Arkian, a language he invented. Sometimes he wants me to come sailing with him on a sailboat he converted from a canoe.

  I remember a sailing trip we went on a couple years ago on Lake Powell. At the time I remember thinking that it was the worst trip I’d ever been on. For starters, there was no wind. The boat I was in had a slow leak, so we were constantly bailing. In fact, a park service boat came up and asked us if we were sinking and needed to be rescued. A thunderstorm that night collapsed our tent, sunk our boats and resurrected our fire, forcing us to put it out with sand and Gatorade. About a mile away, a park ranger was actually struck by lightning — this was no small storm. In the morning, we found that a houseboat had run aground about fifty feet from where we’d taken shelter.

  Needless to say, Yannick (our other shipmate) and I were done, so we mutinied and demanded an immediate return home. We were furious. It seemed as though everything that could’ve gone wrong did. I broke my sandals, we lost not one, but both of our marine radios — it was a mess.

  

  But through it all, Nathan was never discouraged. He saw the problems as opportunities; things to tinker with and improve upon. While I was thinking about how tired and sore and sunburned I was, Nathan was thinking about how he could seal the crack in the boat and reshape the daggerboard. For Nathan, a project is never finished. It can always be improved.

  He lives his life the same way, constantly adapting, rethinking, reinventing. He’s committed. And now he’s embarking on his most ambitious project yet: his marriage to Danika. I know that he’ll bring the same determination and optimism to their future together.

  As difficult as it was to get to this point, remember that the work is never over. Every day is an opportunity to build something beautiful and lasting. Together, I know that your love is watertight and that there will always be wind in your sails. Know that your friends are with you all the way and though the sailing may not always be smooth, it will always be worth it.

  — 30 —

  Jonny Eberle is a writer, podcaster, and storyteller. He lives in Tacoma, WA with his family, a dog, and three adorable typewriters. His writing has been published in Creative Colloquy, Grit City Magazine, and All Worlds Wayfarer. You can listen to his audio drama, The Adventures of Captain Radio, and his writing podcast, Dispatches with Jonny Eberle, wherever you enjoy podcasts.

  If you liked this post, please consider subscribing to his monthly email newsletter for news, curated reading recommendations, and more. Thanks for reading!
• December 26, 2012

  A Toast to a Toast

  

  My friend Nathan is getting married in three days. As the best man, I have three duties: Throw him a party, get him to the wedding and give the toast. The toast — a tradition possibly as old as drinking itself — is one of the highlights of the reception dinner. No pressure, right?

  Plato recounted elaborate toasts in his philosophical work, Symposium (which, incidentally, means “drinking party” in Greek). Whenever people were gathered for a special occasion with a glass or two of wine, people would drink to the health of their friends, loved ones, monarchs and virtues. The word “toast” comes from the 17th century practice of flavoring wine with, you guessed it, spiced pieces of toasted bread, but over the years the flavoring became more metaphorical. Words instead of soggy toast.

  Today, it’s customary to toast the bride and groom on their special day, offering wit and wisdom for the first steps of their new joint life. This isn’t my first toast and it probably won’t be my last. And in all fairness, no one is likely to remember what I say, but I still want it to be good.

  Where to begin? Meeting Nathan in eighth grade P.E.? Our awkward awesome high school years? The day he got a mysterious plate of homemade cookies from Danika (whom he’s now about to marry)? Hot summers basking on the red rocks in Sedona? Sailing on Lake Mary while a thunderstorm built on the horizon?

  Or do I begin with wisdom? Insights into love are a staple of the wedding toast. But what do I know about marriage? Not much. I do know a few things about happiness and about what to do (and what not to do) when you’re in love. But, this isn’t about me.

  Maybe it doesn’t really matter what I say. What matters is the day; the happy union of two people with a common future. If I can convey how glad I am for my friends, how much their friendship means to me and how great my hopes are for the days and months and years to come, then I can cross “toast” off my list of best man jobs.

  The right words can do that, because the right words are transformative. They’re powerful. They’re a gift — my gift to Nathan and Danika on the day their lives change forever.

  So, let’s raise a glass to the toast and to the guy who has to write it!

  — 30 —

  I’m a writer living in Flagstaff, AZ and the last time I was someone’s best man, I wrote four drafts of my toast. This may take a while. If you have any hints, please comment or find me on Twitter: @jonnyeberle. Thanks for reading!

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