SPEECH

Jamjock Gets Married

Derrick Miller is a thrifty man. His bread and butter is discounted name-brand clothes from Gabriel Brother’s, or Air-Tran air-miles rescued from used drink containers in Burger King dumpsters. I can distinctly recall one three week trip in which he refused to eat at any place that sold hamburgers for more than 99 cents.

But Derrick is also a man of vision – he’s at least as crazy as he is measured. Sensing the uselessness of a Kent State University degree in something like History or English he chose instead to focus his energy on jam making, frequent trips to Florida (where he could count on free lodging at his daughties house) and aeronautics: that is, he bought himself a share in a hot air balloon.

Based on the combination of these two careful qualities, I’m curious as to how we should assess Derrick’s latest long-term investment. Although the food today was excellent in that it was free and tasty – I doubt it had much to do with Derrick’s decision and desire to marry Sarah. No, Sarah should be thought of as more than a good deal or a wise investment. (Both of which I’m sure she is.) Derrick I imagine is marrying her because he loves her. That is, he’s marrying her not because he has fantasies about what a great future they will have together, or because she is just too good to pass up. Derrick will find, if he hasn’t already, that he is marrying Sarah because he can’t imagine living without her. A year from now he’ll look back and forget what it was like to be single rather than two. Not to worry Derrick, from my perspective it’s a better way to live.

I congratulate you Derrick and Sarah on finding each other. I pray that as you cultivate your sensibilities as two different yet now even more familiar human beings you will learn in a deeper way what it means to love and be loved.







Note: Derrick is easily the funniest man I know (after Boozer)