EthicalDative

For the reception, Ms. Geahan slipped into a cream-colored skirt with three tiers of jazzy fringe. Credit Anastasiia Sapon for The New York Times

The NYTimes chronicles the romance and nuptials of this couple in its “Vows” section. I never read this section, but a crafty flourish in the subheading of this particular installment trapped me. It illustrates an astute whoring for eyeballs:

Brian Nicholson thought Brooke Geahan was the most beautiful woman he had ever met. He also knew that she was very ill.

On first blush, the marriage profiled here has the trappings of a beautiful-people, privileged affair: She a Bard College graduate who had curated literary events attended by “boldfaced names.” He a graduate of Brown University who passed through investment banking on his way to founding a men’s apparel line. Wedded in Sonoma and settling down in NoCal wine country.

Only she is battling lyme disease, and both had suffered loss of close family members early in the relationship. This puts an affecting spin on their courtship:

Theirs was an easy connection. Throughout the weekend, while others played outside in fresh snow, they talked about literature and films and the complexities of their careers. “When you meet people this beautiful they usually talk about themselves, but Brooke was down to earth, intellectually curious, and interested in me,” said Mr. Nicholson, now 37.

(Louise Rafkin, “Living With Lyme Disease, Stronger With Love,” NYTimes, 5-24-19)

Death and disease don’t respect class lines, but three tiers of jazzy fringe among boldface-names can take some of the sting out of adversity.

(c) 2019 JMN