Part 14: Asylum, party of one
By Anne-Kathryn Bultman Anne@TheColumbiaStar.com

Everyone is so excited about the wedding and can't believe it's only a few months away, but Girl thinks she is going to be planning this wedding for the rest of her life. The stress of planning, taking care of details, and making "appropriate" phone calls is taking its toll on Girl. Boy says relax. Sure. From the minute Girl wakes up until she goes to bed she is thinking about that !#?$$$ wedding.

Girl worries the wedding will turn into everybody else's wedding, and that she will not even recognize it when she walks down

the aisle. She wakes up in

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the middle of the night screaming because she is being pulled apart like a ragdoll by all these unrecognizable faces. Girl is getting suggestions from every single person in her life, and Girl isn't sure what to do.

No, Girl does not want silk flowers from K- Mart thrown at her as she leaves the reception. No, Girl does not want Baby's Breath on the tables at the reception. No, Girl does not want to give silver frames to her bridesmaids. She wants what she wants and that's all there is to it.

Boy grows increasingly frustrated by the day. Boy

tells Girl who cares what

anyone else thinks? Do what

you want to do and then he

goes to play golf. 07 4:00 PM Page 1

Girl tries to keep calm and focus on other things, but that really isn't an option. One of Girl's bridesmaids, who went through the same experience not so

long ago, tells Girl don't

think about the wedding

unless you are actually making

specific plans. Sure that's easy.

Girl knows the only way to keep the stress away is to take it one day at a time and take all of the advice and dump it in the trash.

Girl needs a thick skin and a quick response for any ideas she thinks are atrocious. She's getting there. The countdown to the big day continues, and Girl is slowly heading for a brand new straight jacket.