Deal or No Deal

While at the library (just because I’m Dangerous doesn’t mean I’m illiterate) when I was approached by a man, as I browsed the DVD selection (some people like books on CD I like books on DVD). He came up and greeted me as if I knew him. Now this is an awkward time for me because I’m frequently approached by people, while out and about, that I *should* know and I don’t. This is due mainly to my work and other community activities.

I was only after he launches into his sob story that this feeling of discomfort begins to pass and makes way for one of skepticism. He tells me this story of how his he and his fiancée are at the courthouse about to get married. Actually, he surprised her and brought her there after work (which on this day was about 2ish) because it was something they’d talked about for years but never done. This was his time to show that he was a hopeless romantic. Picked her up, took her on a picnic, then to the courthouse to exchange their nuptials. Well, there was one minor detail this modern-day Cyrano overlooked; this person called a witness.

Seems they can’t be married unless they have a witness sign the license saying “you know us and we’re good people” (his words not mine). His mission was to go out and find this witness. At the same time his fiancée was participating in the same scavenger hunt. I let him tell his touching, poignant story and politely declined. He left.

After this interaction I could not help but wonder if I had somehow pooh-poohed all over this poor man’s romantic, storybook wedding. I could have been a permanent fixture for anniversary stories that he and his wife would share with others. “Without Ron we could have never gotten married.” I would have been invited over for their first anniversary, I could have worked my way to being God-father to their nearly grown kids—my goodness what have I done?!

I eventually, if not quickly go over those feelings. I then began to look for the cameras. I now believe this was some sort of game show. “If you can get 2 strangers to act as witness to your fake wedding I will give you not 1, not 2, not even 3 but 5 crisp one-hundred dollar bills!!” Alas, I saw no cameras.

So tell me, same situation, what would you have done?

Ron Dangerous @ RonDangerous.blogspot.com