Every now and again, a story comes along that just makes you feel good. That’s what the recent AP story about Karen Kline and her wedding photos did for me.
Karen was eighteen when she married nineteen-year-old Mark Kline in 1980. The couple had a lot of expenses, including the house they’d just bought, and found themselves unable to scrape up the $150 they needed to order prints of their wedding photos. Kline was heartsick, but made do for nearly twenty-seven years with a single photograph a guest had taken of her walking down the aisle.
Then about a month ago, photographer Jim Wagner – now 80 – was going through some old files when he found the Kline’s wedding photos. Shortly thereafter, he ran into Mrs. Kline’s stepfather who told him where he could find her.
Wagner went to the diner where Kline works and presented her with her album, just in time for her twenty-seventh wedding anniversary. Kline immediately wrote Wagner a check for $150.
I think that’s kind of neat.
Also from the files of the Associated Press, it would appear that Vienna’s first ever Divorce Fair is a bust, thus far. On Saturday, there were more reporters in attendance than potential customers. This in a city where the divorce rate is reported to be 66%.
Why the low attendance? One customer had a theory. Bernard Spernern, who has been separated from his wife for three years, felt there were “too many cameras.”
“I think that’s part of the problem — a lot of people don’t want to be seen or be photographed here.”
Whatever the reason people stayed away in droves, Mr. Spernern said he hoped his wife would join him in mediating their dispute. I wish them the best of luck with that.
And from the wonderful world of bridal excess, we bring you the story of Ken, a man from Guangzhou, China, and the gown he had made for his bride…or more accurately, the train on said gown.
It’s 200.8 meters (approximately 695 feet) long and weighs in at 220 pounds. In the photograph above, it took nearly five hours just to arrange the train.
The good news? It could have taken even longer. Apparently the original plan was for the train to be 2,008 meters long in honor of the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games. Alas for Ken – and luckily for his bride whose name does not appear in the story I read – this turned out to be impractical. As it was, the 200.8 meter train took some three months to produce.
Ken says he hopes “the long train will bind us together forever.” I just pray he means that metaphorically.
I like the story about the wedding photos in time for the 27th anniversary.
And that train! Well, that certainly fits the definition of excess. But does it make me wrong that I kinda dig the picture?
No, Glinda, it doesn’t make you wrong that you dig the photo. A good photo is a good photo, even if the subject matter is ridiculous.
Hah! Interesting stuff here!
I’m glad to here that woman got her photos after 27 long years! But the train on that woman’s dress is ridiculous! Crazy!
Heh. I’m having visions of that train after a trip through the washer and dryer. Alexander, where are you?
You know, in certain Asian cultures including, I believe Chinese, long noodles are used to symbolize long life. Maybe Ken was translating that belief into the length of the wedding train? If you think of it that way, it’s not really that excessive. In fact, it’s rather whimsical.
Yes, the long life noodles are a Chinese tradition. I’ve often been told the story of my mother being introduced to them by a Chinese friend…who explained the concept as he sat there carefully cutting up her noodles. He was a very wicked person, and I loved him dearly.
I think I’ll stick with the noodles. Less back strain and less awkwardness getting them around.
That’s a cool picture.