“I first got to know Dan when I was living with one Josh Zimmerman. During one of our roommate-bonding conversations the subject of marriage came up. Josh revealed, much to my surprise, that he wanted to marry by the time he was 26. He might as well have said ‘tomorrow’, for all I thought about marrying young. People were practically still driving with their learners permits and asking their parents for later curfews at 26. They certainly weren’t marrying or having kids. I figured this sort of Little House on the Prairie delusion was isolated to Josh; surely the cynical and worldly guy I knew from my Intro to Microbiology class would disagree and join me in scoffing the ultra-conservative values of my roommate.
So one day while walking back from Microbiology class I bought up with Dan the fact that Josh wanted to marry by the time he was 26, something I found shocking and terribly old-fashioned. Dan seemed none too fazed by this; in fact, he replied, ‘What’s wrong with that? I want to get married by the time I’m 25!’ My jaw about hit the floor. I thought to myself, ‘There’s not way this kid’s gonna get married by the time he’s 25. He’s as big a loser as I am!’ And yet, here he is, married, 2 months before his 24th birthday. Congratulations for proving me wrong, thankfully, and all my best to you both.”
-A very roughly paraphrased version of the impromptu toast I gave at Dan and Rachel’s wedding last Saturday.
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