Griffin Speaks

A REMARKABLE WEEKEND

A few months ago one of my favorite and most successful former Alabama State University students, Mr. Lamont Weems called and informed me, that he had “met the woman of his dreams.” I immediately assured him that Debra and I would be at the wedding with bells on. On Saturday, the sixteenth of July, two thousand and five at one o’clock in the afternoon, Detroit Socialite, Keisha Marie Spearman and Lamont Weems were married. It was a beautiful and moving event. 

We left Montgomery, Alabama on Saturday morning around 8:30 am which was 9:30 am eastern time. We were so sure that we would have plenty of time to make the 1 p.m. wedding. We were wrong. When we reached Newnan, Georgia there was a work crew on Interstate 85. It took us almost 2 hours to drive ten miles. I was as angry as a wet hen! We missed the wedding. Fortunately we arrived at the beginning of the reception. Mr. Weems was delighted to see us. He introduced us to his new wife. She was gorgeous and polished to a “T”. I immediately could tell how she captured his heart. We also met other members of Mr. Weems’ family. The Weems family was like the Pringle and Gardner family from Lowndes County, where everyone in the family is attractive. In fact everybody at the wedding was attractive. I was very honored to meet Mr. Weems’ father and his aunt Lottie. Aunt Lottie must have been who I was thinking about when I coined the phrase “go to at least three family reunions before you marry someone, because you can find out a lot from relatives.” By the time we finished talking with Aunt Lottie I realized that I was absolutely correct in my assessment that Mr. Weems came from the best of genes. She was absolutely wonderful! She had us spell bound! “God only made one!” It also reminded me of the time my Dad attended one of my best friends, Jeh Charles Johnson’s swearing-in-ceremony at the Pentagon. Jeh Johnson had been appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as his General Counsel to the United States Air Force. Jeh told me that at the reception every time he would look up my dad was talking to the Secretary of the Air Force. When my dad returned to Montgomery I asked him what was he telling the Secretary of the Air Force? My dad said, “I was telling him that he wasn’t pretending and this event is really Posh!” He also gave the Secretary a few tips on how to run the Air Force more efficiently! My dad was also collecting the nametags off the food for souvenirs.  

Mr. and Mrs. Lamont Weems had wonderful food, but we didn’t collect any nametags. We just ate and enjoyed the event.  

Alexis didn’t get to go to Europe this year with her classmates because Debra could not go with her. She was angry and did not understand our not allowing her to go alone until Natalie Holloway turned up missing in Aruba. She now understands that as parents we know best. On Sunday she was allowed to go to Summer Camp for a week. I miss her already. 

When Debra returned from taking Alexis to camp, she fired up the grill and we ate some really good food. That was our remarkable weekend! Until next week, stay safe and keep the faith!

Greg Griffin is a free lance writer. You can read his previous articles by visiting his web page at www.greggriffin.com