I am a man of many "hats", so to speak. I have been a bartender for 13+ years, a well decorated athlete for as long as I can remember, and most recently, an amateur writer for the past couple of years. This past week I added another "hat" to my wardrobe. I've become an Ordained Minister through the Universal Life Church Monastery.
With this newest endeavor comes a great deal of responsibility. This coming August I will be officiating the marriage of two wonderful people whom I'm proud to call friends. Mr. Justin Hall will become one with the lovely, vivacious, and multi-talented Miss Sheena Roberts. This spectacular event will take place at The Turning Stone Casino and Resort in Vernon, NY, with 150 of their closest friends and family. I am honored that they think highly enough of me to be a part of the most important day of their lives. Or maybe they think I will be cheap because I don't have a resume in this field yet. Know this, I'm gonna get paid!
Allow me to enlighten you as to how all of this came to fruition in the 1st place. A year ago or so I received a very strange text from my friend Brendan. He wrote that he and his girlfriend of 5+ years, Nichole, would like me to go on-line and get ordained so I could marry the two of them. Without giving it a 2nd thought I said sure. He responded by saying they would pay for my credentials, and as an extra incentive I could wear Duke jersey to their wedding if I so desired. I was a bit confused as to why they thought wearing a jersey would somehow give me the incentive to get ordained, so I called him.
"Is there something you and Nichole would like to tell me?"
"What?" was his response.
From a few miles away, on the phone, things suddenly became clearer for me. I think I could smell the alcohol on his breath through the phone.
"Are you two engaged?" I inquired.
That seemed like a logical deduction from my end. Apparently not.
"No, why?"
"I don't know. Maybe because you just sent me a text and requested that I get ordained on-line. How foolish of me to jump to such a conclusion" was the best I could come up with.
He then proceeded to tell me that the two of them had been drinking during an afternoon cookout and the topic of marriage had come up. I of course expressed my astonishment to the fact that they had been tipping the bottle. Nonetheless, he conveyed to me that they had not yet made a commitment to each other to remain together for the rest of their lives. By the end of that particular call I began to wonder if I could have Brendan committed, to a mental institution!
But I digress. Word had gotten out that I was going to become an ordained minister. Justin and Sheena had caught wind of my plans. I'm not sure how they found out. It must have been published in the church bulletin at St. Thirsty's. They approached me and asked if I would do it for real. I thought about it for a moment and said why not.
I must admit that I'm a bit apprehensive about public speaking. It's something I've dreaded my entire life. But what better way to attack and conquer a fear. With God in my corner, how can I go wrong. My good friend Mai is already an ordained minister too. I'm sure I will be able to pick her brain for advice as well.
Getting ordained was the 1st step. Now I have to choose a marriage kit to guide me through the service. There are a bunch to choose from, varying in cost. This church is pretty liberal though. They allow you to customize each wedding to the couple's individual wishes. Once I have purchased the kit and get my minister's ID I just have to register with the County Clerk's Office and it's a green light.
I cannot say that I have plans to make a second career out of this. It's definitely something I would never have anticipated doing. I do have a feeling that good things will come from this in the future too. I mean what chick wouldn't want to hook up with a minister?
So until we meet again, bless you my children. I must now go heal the sick, feed the hungry, and clothe the poor.
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