October 13, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 27 The professional photographer and his assistant, seconded by my wife, recorded the whole event for posterity. People riding by in horse-drawn carriages looked up and waved, and I waved back. Shadowing the horse-drawn transportation, three tiny Asian girls traveling shank’s mare arrived on the sidewalk and also started to snap pictures. I waved them up to join the happy group, and they mingled with the people in formal wear, snapping pictures of the bride and groom, my wife, and Winnie, a bridal attendant whose family comes from Taiwan. “Where are you guys from?” I asked. “China,” the ringleader said. “I like your flower.” (I had a boutonniere pinned to my tux under mild protest.) “Now I’m going to take your picture,” I said. They all grinned. Then my son came lumbered over and growled at them like a bear – that’s how Asians joke -- and they ran away giggling and waving good-bye all the way up the street. I think we made their day. If I had known how much food would go to waste at the reception, I would have found a way to sneak them in. In Pennsylvania, they don’t allow food to leave the dining area, not even in bags, or so we were told. The Omni Hotel is a very elegant place, and the reception was delicious. I chatted with the in-laws, trying not to startle them with a personality that is not that of your average suburbanite. Somebody thought I was kidding when I said I didn’t dance because of a service-related injury to my leg. I wasn’t kidding. I can’t help who I am. I don’t much want to. The DJ – a young man from the Philippines and one of my son’s business associates chose music that suited a variety of tastes. He even got the song that was “our song” when my wife and I first met. I suspect my son must have picked it out, and I was very pleasantly surprised because I didn’t know he ever listened to me. Annabelle, the tiny daughter of Jay, the best man, and Winnie doesn’t quite know how to talk, but she thinks she’s a grown-up. Nobody should disabuse her. She was out on the dance floor dancing like everybody else. My one trepidation was that somebody might step on her, but Annabelle knew when to duck. Ram and Raj showed up – two of my son’s friends from Glen Rock High School. Ram and John and four other people once cleaned up Wood Duckling Pond in Allendale under the supervision of Stiles Thomas, and were subsequently honored at an Allendale Borough Council meeting. They went into the water twice in waist-high waders – once in December, when they had to crack the ice, once in May when it was already hot. The stuff they dredged up out of the pond, an inlet of the lake at the Celery Farm, would have filled a small pick-up truck, and not all of it got there through natural processes. But Stiles told us that wood ducks were indeed able to breed there, and wood ducklings are seen swimming in the water every year. We got to sit at the table with Danny from Glen Rock and his wife Erin, who once took excellent care of our pets while working for a vet in Wyckoff. The other people at the table were neighbors of John’s first house in East Brunswick, whom he had befriended. They said they first found him intimidating. I can’t imagine why, but I saw him born in the Valley Hospital Emergency Room, so I don’t fear him as much as I should. My daughter saved us all with the limousine ride and, given that, holding the wedding in Philadelphia turned out to be a good idea after all. Brotherly love is what the world is going to need. When I was talking to Ram and Johnny, I told Johnny to be nice to Ram and Raj and to be nice to the three girls from China who saw the American wedding as a photoop. “The way the economy is going, you could wind up working for them,” I cautioned. We all got along, and that’s a good sign, because the world that Johnny and Lisa and the people in their wedding will have to face is not the world of my youth. We had the draft when I saw young. If we manage not to throw our weight around too much, and stop letting the tools of foreign influence do our thinking for us, we may be able to avoid murdering the three girls who showed up to snap pictures or the people who look like Ram and Raj. America may be the last military superpower, but we’re no longer the world’s only economic superpower. We need to bridle out ambitions and think about how blessed we are by Christianity and the U.S. Constitution. Trying to use America’s military might so that some people can spend money every weekend the way Johnny and Lisa and her family did for this beautiful once-in-a-lifetime occasion could be a serious mistake. After a few days of hard rain and drizzle and unseasonable cold, the day was the most beautiful I could have prayed for, and actually did pray for. Johnny, Lisa, and their friends – I’ve watched some of them grow up, and Lisa has gone through a couple of tough times with us and came out looking worthy and impressive – will probably be able to manage things if we don’t leave them a heritage of racial or ethnic hate or national arrogance. I think my wife and I have done what we could. The glorious weather after a storm was what I might call a good sign, and so was the fact that the wedding took place in Philadelphia. Philadelphia is where it all started. The City of Brotherly Love was established by members of the Society of Friends (Quakers) reinforced by other groups, including German Pietist sects and Jewish Europeans who were fugitives from persecution and wanted to live in tolerance and peace with one another. The city was also the place where the Second Continental Congress met to write and adopt the Declaration of Independence, and the place where the Constitutional Convention met. More than New York, far more than Washington, perhaps even more than Boston, Philadelphia is the birthplace of what we think of as America. It’s also the place where my son and his wife got married two weeks ago. I’m not a fan of big weddings. A buddy of mine and sidekick on some freelancing assignments used to do wedding pictures but gave up. He explained that, by the time the pictures were ready, the bride and groom were sometimes talking about divorce and he never got paid for his work. I brought my own camera, just in case. This is one of the few times in history since Johnny got to be stronger than I am that my son has allowed me – even encouraged me – to take pictures. My daughter couldn’t be there because she and her husband live in California. They are expecting a child at the end of November, and no airline travel is permitted. Knowing how I hate to drive and love to celebrate on special occasions, my daughter splurged for a portal-to-portal limousine ride that probably cost about as much as her mother and I spent on our own wedding. Shizuko and I bought a house instead of spending a year’s savings on a big wedding. I cannot spare this woman. She is an inspired pragmatist, and is often better at coping that I am. The limousine driver arrived with perfect timing. After a tour of New Jersey’s uglier industrial sites along the Turnpike, we got to Philadelphia with 45 minutes to spare. The wedding was booked for the Omni Hotel, just across the street from a historic park and diagonally across the street from what my son described as the First Bank of America. Perhaps in defiance of Andrew Jackson, the second-generation foster Lakota and his wife, who is part Cherokee, decided to have their photographs taken on the steps of the awesome Greek temple of a bank. I was asked, however, not to use the 45 minutes we had to spare before the ceremony to roam the streets or visit the museum. Johnny opted for Philadelphia, I think, because he got such a good deal on the accommodations. The fact that he knows I love history and he finds it tolerable may also have something to do with it. While we waited, we all took photographs, and my wife – who, like my son, hates to have her picture taken – relented. I may be prejudiced, but I think she was the best-looking woman there, except, of course, for the bride, who won us all over with her grace and elegance. I’ve known Lisa for years, but I was dazzled with how great she looked. I think we all were. She was just about breathtaking. The assembly was eclectic: Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Hindu. The clergyman was described by my son as “a non-denominational Christian.” I was sorry that I didn’t get to see more of him. He even pronounced my wife’s first name right. I suspect he had practiced with someone who is a better linguist than he admits. A Philadelphia story Letters to the Editor Dear Editor: Before time passes by, I want to express my gratitude for your support during my years of service as a member to the Township of Wyckoff’s governing body. My time as mayor and my years on the township committee have enriched my life. I was enlightened by all I learned and grateful for the opportunity to help. I always sought answers in the best interest of all Wyckoff taxpayers. To this end, I feel I was very successful in making the decisions I made. I also want to personally thank my wife Mary and our children for their support and faith. Without faith and family, efforts for others would have been for naught. I will enjoy more time with my family. Thank you for all we have shared, done, and will do together. David N. Connolly Wyckoff Dear Editor: On behalf of the Franklin Lakes Recreation Department and the Wyckoff Family YMCA, we thank the local businesses and community members who helped make our first “Splash & Dash” Youth Biathlon an amazing success. Over 90 young athletes tested their swimming and running abilities on Sept. 11 at the Indian Trail Club. Parents, grandparents, and siblings came to cheer on the competitors, who ranged in age from seven through 15. It was a morning of fun and healthy activity that was enjoyed by hundreds of area residents. It was also a time of remembrance and reflection as our opening ceremony recognized and acknowledged the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Our deepest appreciation goes out to the Franklin Lakes VFW Color Guard and to soloist Grateful for opportunity to serve Molly Halback who added touching and memorable elements to the observance that morning. A special thanks goes out to corporate sponsor Nicholas Markets/Super Foodtown for making the race possible, and to Boswell Engineering, the Franklin Lakes Ambulance Corps, the McBride family, the Indian Trail Club and its members, and the surrounding neighbors for their efforts and cooperation. Proceeds from the event benefitted the Franklin Lakes Recreation Department and the Wyckoff Family YMCA. We look forward to partnering again next year to promote health and wellness for children! Joyce K. Vottero, Executive Director Wyckoff Family YMCA John Ciurciu, Director Franklin Lakes Recreation and Parks Department Dear Editor: On behalf of the Midland Park Recreation Department, I would like to thank the hundreds of residents who contributed to the department’s food drive. The food collected was urgently needed to re-stock the empty shelves at the Center for Food Action in Mahwah. Many are facing some very difficult times at present. Midland Park is all about community and helping others as evidenced by the outpouring of food dropped off on Community Day and at the DePhillips Community Center throughout the month of September. Thanks to your help, we delivered two full van loads of food to the CFA. In addition to the Food 4 Friends collection our summer camp counselors coordinated, we intend to keep the Community Day food collection a tradition as well. Thank you for your generous support! Lori Dent, Director Midland Park Recreation Department Midland Park steps up to the plate Community boosts Biathlon success