Eric's Top Ten

While rummaging through some personal affects in a box full of old things,mostly garbage, from seemingly another life. You know the box, the one that all those cheesy letters and cards, pictures and yearbooks, baseball cards, Cd's, stuffed animals(yes its true x2) and other bits and pieces of youth end up piled into. The kind of box that is full of stuff you keep because it is funny or nostalgic, stuff that you can look back and laugh at the experience of youth. In this box shaped like one of those old shipping crates complete with locks and latches, band and bumper stickers, otherwise homeless items needing to make space for what comes next found safety from the bin. My box stored in the rarely visited corner of my mom's basement seemed at first like buried treasure. I felt a wave of nostalgia and giddy, embarrassing emotion come over me when I thought to open it up for a look. To my surprise I discovered this piece of paper, an idea for the toast that I was to give at my brother, Eric's wedding. Surprised and a bit shocked to find it among old photographs, I was immediately reminded at what a dreadful mess that ultimately was made of the speech. Apparently I knew better than to come unprepared but did anyway 18 years old, slightly intoxicated and full of untapped emotion. Emotion that included an overwhelming sense of loss that my sister was not in attendance because of her death earlier that spring. While she had passed much earlier that spring, the grieving long since passed, life, love and graduations propelling us away from youth, I really felt her loss especially that day, she was missing at this the most important moment in our brothers life. A joyful moment that I longed for us to share together. The pleasure and happiness of welcoming someone new to our family, someone who loved our brother as we did played on my thoughts and I felt a bit lost for well apparently, especially words. For those of you that were there and remember this event, well we both wish that I had found this earlier. This post is an attempt at redemption for what was probably the worst toast ever given at a wedding and probably the most embarrassing moment of my life.

One more note, I have to laugh because this random piece of paper that I cannot believe I totally forgot about in the run up to the wedding, was filled with notes full of other good humored story lines and memories(that will have to wait for another post) along with a plan, a really well thought out idea for how I would present it. Like I said I only wish it wasn't forgotten.

Top Ten Reason Why Eric Wants to Marry Kim

#10. Because he knew how beautiful she would look tonight.(Note to applaud followed by hand to ear while gesturing to the crowd)

#9.With hair and a nose like his he's not taking any chances...I can relate to that.

#8.She's the best he's met at faining interest in the intricacies of General Accounting.

#7.She's the only one who has grown immune to his toxic fumes...yeah right.

#6.To bring a little peace, harmony and sanity to the Hope vs Calvin rivalry

#5.He's that excited to do her taxes...

#4.Free tips to improving his jump shot so he can finally beat me in a pick up game.

#3.So he can spend more time with Bill Hoffman

#2.Needs some help clipping out all those coupons

#1. (Pause for affect)......Because dog gonnit he loves her

There it is. I'll let you know what comes out of the box next.