Magic Carpet Ride

Friday was another hot and muggy summer day.  We sat in folding chairs looking out over the Osage River.  Fortunately our seats were in partial shade and there was a slight breeze off the water.

Time was moving a little on the slow side.  Is it 3:00 yet?  Ten past?  I guess we’ll just have to be patient.

The official finally stood by the podium and we waited a bit more.

Then a young man, wearing a decidedly hippie type tunic joined the minister, along with two other young men.  Everyone waited in expectation.

Finally the music began.  Magic Carpet Ride…

I like to dream yes, yes, right between my sound machine
On a cloud of sound I drift in the night
Any place it goes is right
Goes far, flies near, to the stars away from here
Well, you don't know what we can find
Why don't you come with me little girl
On a magic carpet ride
You don't know what we can see
Why don't you tell your dreams to me
Fantasy will set you free
Close your eyes girl
Look inside girl
Let the sound take you away

And sashaying down the grassy path towards the river and the bridal party were two young ladies.

Behind them was the most delightful sight.  Dark hair flowing well past her waist, held in place by a simple band of material.  A white bridal dress altered to reflect the personality of the bride – mini short.  And finally a pair of cowboy boots. 

I had not seen Renee in years.  She had grown from an “I’ll do it my way” young girl and teen to a much more “I’ll do it my way” adult.  My mouth flew open and I had to grin.  Her mom did a lot of shrugging.  She was  doing her best to go with the flow of the day.

The service was short and sweet.  You might notice the ropes tied around their hands?  (had I known this was one wedding I definitely wanted to get pictures of, I would have brought something other than my cell phone…)  The two ropes were twined around their hands as words of unity were read.

 

I’ll have to admit to having briefly felt like I had entered a time warp.  This was a wedding of the free love hippie days of 40 years ago. 

Once the bride and groom had spent time walking around visiting everyone (she told me she chose Magic Carpet Ride as the song she walked in on because it was her favorite song as a little girl), and after they cut the cake – they had one more surprise for  everyone.

Bare foot and still in their wedding clothes, they walked over to the edge of the river bank and holding hands jumped in.

Beautiful or crazy?  Somehow it worked for these  two.

I actually had time to sit by myself for a bit, gazing out over the water thinking.  They were sincere in their expression of love.  This is what was going to work for them.  It bothered me that God didn’t seem to have a place in their new life, but maybe that will come in time.

The one thing I kept thinking over and over is that they seemed very happy and they were being true to themselves.