"Bloomin' Onions" and Weddings: One of these made me cry

January 4, 2014 - The Tenth Day of Christmas

I was about to settle in to a day of organizing last Thursday - always a good way to begin a new year. I checked Facebook for the 33rd time (more or less) and found a plea from a friend for two people to join her at an Outback Restaurant. They were giving away free Bloomin' Onions with purchase because LSU had won the Outback Bowl the day before. Only one other friend had responded so I quickly volunteered. We agreed to meet at the Outback Restaurant in Vista at 12:30 pm. I hadn't cleaned myself up since I expected to stay in for my organization project, but I sprang into action. 

I checked the directions on Mapquest by the address given to me. I felt like I was driving too far north of Vista, but the timing seemed right so I kept going. I turned off the freeway, twisted and turned down a country road, and finally found a piece of Vista at the end. Trepidation set in at this point since I always get lost when I go to Vista - except if I'm going to the Court Complex. I am familiar with how to get there, as well as Palomar College, but anything beyond those locations takes me outside of my comfort zone. Mapquest did not take me where I wanted to go in this instance. Not even close.

I got lost. It took an extra 1/2 hour to 45 minutes to find my way to the huge shopping center and the Outback Restaurant. I needn't have worried, however. The restaurant didn't open until 4 pm. Ah, way early, but my friends were waiting for me (patiently, I think). Fortunately, we were all happy to find a huge Barnes & Noble nearby. This semi-relieved my angst of wandering aimlessly when I had planned a morning of constructive busy-ness. 

Then, I remembered that a part of the pleasure of consuming a Bloomin' Onion on this particular day was being in the company of two friends who also found themselves at loose ends quite unexpectedly. We shared stories, laughed, and found community in our love of books and a variety of other B&N merchandise. We otherwise just enjoyed exploring Barnes & Noble. 

At 4 pm, we were delighted to find ourselves to be among the first 10 people seated at Outback when it opened. Our waiter was quick to submit our order for the Bloomin' Onion and brought our drinks quickly. I ordered a house salad as my purchase. Good thing! The Bloomin' Onion is such a delicious slug-fest of grease. We all knew it and we all ate it with vigor!

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Television programming has been mostly uninteresting since before New Year's Day. My opinion. Today was no different. I found a series of Walton Family movies on the Hallmark and decided they were better than blood and guts, and other nonsense - again, my opinion. I can read and think while watching Walton Family movies. They are easy to digest.

What grabbed my attention were the weddings. Three Walton weddings in a row. Once again, I confronted something in myself that I've never really understood. I cry at other people's weddings regardless of whether I know the people, if it's a Walton Wedding, or even if it's a commercial featuring a wedding ceremony. I never cried at my own. 

I wonder about this. I've always loved weddings, but why the intense emotion? Is it because my hopes were dashed by divorce? No, because at 16 I choked up watching a wedding of complete strangers.  Is it the dream or hope of a fairy tale? I have no desire to remarry so that thought does not occupy any space in my mind. The tears are certainly not for lack of being married. Maybe it's just because weddings are such beautiful ceremonies, a very moving event when two people commit themselves to each other for ever. At least, that's the way it's supposed to be. I may never understand the deep feelings that cause my weepiness at weddings - perhaps it doesn’t matter.

Not one tear welled up while eating the Bloomin' Onion though. Glad I didn’t have to cut it up.