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In support of better health, I am a regular “go-er” to the gym. I can also report that as much as a gym offers many different exercise options, I typically, just mostly use the treadmill. I used to be able to run on the treadmill. As I got older, I could still manage a slower paced jog. Now I walk, but rather than feel inadequate with my exercise choice, I can still maintain a faster walking pace than I would if I ‘went for a walk’ outside, justifying my gym membership expense.
In the USA, I walk on the treadmill, plug in and watch a fun TV program. In Germany, the gym does not offer a television and since I do not care to listen to music whilst walking, I make sure that I choose the treadmill that is in front of the biggest window. The window happens to face the courtyard of the city town hall and when I time my workout right, I can often catch a wedding!
Last Saturday, just as I began my workout at just after 11 a.m., I noticed several people emerging from the town hall. They appeared to be wedding guests because several of the young men were wearing suits. I put down my iPhone, set the pace on my treadmill slightly higher, and settled in for what was sure to be an entertaining 20 or 30 minutes. Within a couple of minutes, the best man (this is how I labeled him in my head) emerged from the town hall. He was carrying two identical bundles of balloons. Each bundle had six white helium filled balloons with a larger, white shaped heart balloon in the middle. The bundles were tied with ribbon and attached to a weight. Given that, for many in Germany, weddings are usually a somewhat simpler event, I knew that the balloon bundles were, most likely, serving as the only decorations for the nuptials. My assumption was correct as when the bride and groom emerged, the photographer utilized the balloon bundles in every photo setup. Sometimes the bride and groom were placed in between the balloon bundles. Sometimes the bundles were placed next to each other, and the bride and groom were positioned a few steps in front. At one point, only one bundle was used while the other lay waiting for its turn. That’s when a big gust of wind came and carried the waiting bundle away, leaving its poorly attached weight, behind…
I thought the bride would be upset since 50 percent of her wedding décor was now floating away up into the clear blue sky, but she didn’t seem to mind. She looked just as happy as she did before. And while I watched the balloon bundle rising higher and higher, I noticed that the groom had picked up the lonely weight and tied it to the remaining bundle of balloons, ensuring its steadfast place as the sole wedding decoration. I smiled to myself thinking that real life is always way more romantic than any Lifetime movie on TV…
LIVEstream. LIVEstream.
Kathy Naumann, possessor of NATURALLY curly hair and the understanding that you can’t control everything!

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