Column Writing

2008 TPA Better Newspaper Contest

First Place D4

Hood County

Father of the bride

By Roger Enlow

And I don't dance. Yet, there I was, smack dab in the middle of the dance floor, with Gene Kelly sitting and taking notes.

Okay, okay. It wasn't EXACTLY that way.

But you know what? Fellow non-dancers were impressed.

"Roger, man, I didn't know you had such moves," cried Gary Marks, slapping a high-five.

Reviews, however, were mixed.

Sports ed Rick Mulch, who claims to dance, said, "Roger, man, at least you were having fun."

He was right. I was having fun. It was my daughter's wedding.

This is how it is for the father of the bride:

You see daughter dance, you dance.

You see daughter smile, you smile.

You see daughter laugh, you laugh.

You see daughter being whisked away to her honeymoon, you turn and slug someone in the mouth.

Naw, I'm joking. Quinn's a good guy. Has to be. He treasures fishing, Texas history and the Dallas Cowboys.

But for years I wondered how it would be walking Kayla down the aisle. Sorta dreaded it, to tell the truth.

Wanna know a secret? Our hearts get a little tender at times.

"I don't know about you two," mama said, half-worried. "You both may not make it because of the tears."

So I had to devise a plan. A plan that would give us some comic relief just before the emotional, heart-pounding march.

Ah-ah! I got it!

Thanks, Sports Illustrated. They ran a big photo of a helmet-less, smiling Tony Romo. I remembered Kayla teasing about him. "He's my boyfriend," she would grin.

So I wrote a message on the photo, cut it out and tucked it away for the wedding.

The big day finally arrived. I retrieved the photo and slipped it inside my coat pocket. Drove to the ranch where the wedding party and guests were assembling. And then it was time.

"Kayla ... dad ... you're up!" someone said. "Time to go."

So there I stood, next to this breathtaking bride.

"Wait a minute, Kayla," I said. "I just remembered. Someone wanted me to give this to you.”

"What is it?" she asked with a puzzled look, thinking it was some syrupy something that she didn't need at that particular time.

She unfolded the print and saw the handsome face of happy Tony Romo.

She squinted when reading the accompanying message: "Kayla, you don't have to go through with it. Love, Tony."

She smiled and laughed.

And, I smiled and laughed.