Out of Favor

Not that you asked but...
Thirty years ago this spring my mother traveled around Europe on a lengthy visit while her husband was there on business. She got to experience a grand tour and came home bursting with stories, mementos, and grand memories she continues to recount. My brother and I stayed home with our grandmother, disappointed that we couldn't just take a few months off of school to join her. I was sure a trip to Europe would be far more educational, but my wishes were not fulfilled. Instead I was soothed with fabulous souvenirs--a colorful zippered pencil case with the latest fancy writing tools from Germany, an assortment of original Smurf toys, and photobooks of exotic places like Sussex and Koln. As a girl of 9-nearly-10 I treasured one thing more than most of the others (that pencil case was pretty awesome): a little book about the history and engagement of Lady Diana Spencer to the big-eared Prince of Wales.

Fast forward a few months. One sunny summer day I boarded an airplane to fly across the country. I was an unaccompanied minor who was boarded first and taken off the plane last. I was traveling that day between home and my grandparents' house in the mountains for a summer vacation. Added on to the airport time would have been an additional four hours of travel, to get door to door. Add it all up and you get a full day's travel. This also means I spent a full day away from the television.

Do you see where this is headed?
I missed the wedding of Lady Di and Prince Charles. Since the event occurred in the era before vcrs, dvrs, and the internet, I didn't even have a chance to watch it after I got home. I just never saw it. I recall feeling disappointed but not heartbroken. Nonetheless, this combination of anticipation brought on by a foreign souvenir and the unfulfilled attachment to the associated event has created in me an irrational interest in the upcoming wedding of Prince William.

Since the Will-Kate engagement was announced I've looked forward to getting a dose of pageantry, tradition, and celebrity spotting all in one viewing. Recently I've watched maybe a tad too much of BBC America's pre-wedding specials. I read about the mystery of Kate's wedding dress, looked over the guest list, and pondered all of the uneventful downtime and obnoxious hype that will come with viewing the event "live". But one detail eluded me in all of this: the actual date of the wedding.

Which brings me to my final factoid: I'm driving to Las Vegas this weekend. In order to beat the heat, make good time, and arrive early enough to nap before any evening activities, I plan to leave in the middle of the night. I'm looking forward to this vacation, but--

I think you see where this is headed--
I will miss the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. While the guests are arriving, I will be driving away from my metropolitan area. When the ceremony itself takes place, I will be looking out at crops and cows. While morning media personalities rehash every last detail and editors cut specials for that night's primetime lineup, I will be in the desert.

While I do own a dvr, and have scheduled it to record the wedding, I'm not sure I will end up watching it after I return. I know from experience that I don't enjoy watching events after the fact. Which might be just as well, since I think this is all a sign that I'm not meant to watch royal weddings. I am meant, instead, to have a life, where pageantry is overrated. Oh well. :)