“33”

Roll back film.  It’s 1989, we’re in a dive bar famous for its wings called “Buff’s Pub”, and it’s packed on a Thursday night.  Jill and Mitch, dating just over a year, are quaffing down some brewskis - Rolling Rock in this case - and being care-free 20 somethings.  Suddenly, Mitch is down on one knee with a black velvet box in hand but Jill is too engrossed in conversation with Jan to notice.  “Jan, shut the fuck up!” screams Mark (up on a chair) who egged Mitch on to run home, get the ring and propose that night (which he was planning to do later in the month, but not that night).  Fast forward 33 years: it’s November 11, 2022, and Jill and Mitch are celebrating anniversary #33 at Buff’s Pub with Rolling Rocks in hand.  But this time, they are surrounded by friends who they’ve known for close to 33 years, if not more, who had an hour or two to drop by Buff’s.  The spontaneity of the engagement and the spontaneity of our gathering at Buff’s proves to me that fancy venues, glitzy parties and long-range planning are hardly necessary to have a really good time (and a really good marriage).  Cheers!