The Ceremony

Somewhere in the depths of New York City
Flowers get thrown, rice drops
I turn my head, there lies a sea of black and white, men and women, girls and boys
After receiving an invitation, I blindly attended
Who is the groom? Who is this bride?
In the heat of the sun, my tux is wet
Sweat drops from the brow of the best man, who doesn't know why he's there
In the shadow of St. Patrick's Cathedral, men and women pile into cars
Taxi's swarm by, completely oblivious to the soul-binding that just occurred
Two have become one. Or that's what I've been told.
He would sacrifice himself for her, and she would for him.
Or as he would for him, and she would for her.  I don't really know who's getting married.
Something feels like in the celebration, we were all just married.
I ask myself what it takes to become married.
A piece of paper.  A man who is clearly closer to God than myself.
I'm standing there on an alter, about to make some type of agreement.
Maybe a temporary agreement.  A bargain, or something we share ground on,
A consensus.
But maybe this is my last agreement, a final wager toward my death.  Something final,
In a world of never ending change.

I'm back in New York.  More cheering has arose.
There they go, the bride and groom.
I'm pretty sure I've never seen them before, but but they smile at me as they pass anyways.
The flashing of camera's blinds me, as to sacrifice my sight for a piece of time that will be soon gone.
And which soon may be forgotten.
The happiest day of their life, captured in several hundred photographs.
A hunger in my stomach rumbles.
And it's because of this I attend the reception.  I hope the cake's not chocolate.

Blog Response for Chapter 16-18

The part I chose to discuss in chapters 16-18 was the part where Holden asks that girl questions about the museum and later asks her to have some hot chocolate with him.  In fact, there are other parts in these chapters where Holden is seen interacting and admiring little kids, which I thought was interesting.  For some, this may just say that Holden has become so lonesome in his adventure that he has resorted to trying to accompany kids.  It may also mean to some people that Holden's just a weird guy who likes to hang out with kids.  However, when I saw this, I felt like this was something that Holden was doing to learn from.  We see in this part and many other parts of the book that Holden has a fascination with little kids.  From his sister, to a ordinary little kid singing in the street, Holden remarks many times how he respects and somewhat holds in a higher light who these kids are.  I think Holden finds something profound in the way little kids act.  He sees them waiting for their friends, playing on a seesaw, and singing while walking down the street.  I think he sees this and feels like that's the way everyone should be living.  We see him reflect a little kid in the way he acts, compulsively lying, being unable to just stay in a school, and always looking for a place to go by himself.  Holden's journey almost represents the classic running away from home scenario that plays a part in the little kid life.  I think he admires the blind energy and the selfishness but awareness that a child has.  This seems to play a role in the entire book, and I think it's something that makes up who Holden is, or who he's trying to be.