A Ring of Truth

Dear Gentle Readers:



I recently did some piano judging for a local music association. I judge for different events about 3-4 times a year, and as such, many of my piano friends do not know about my upcoming wedding plans.

With me so far? OK.

One of these judges is a woman -- let's call her Mary which is a good generic name, and it also happens to BE her name (let us not protect the guilty!) -- that I've known for years and years as a professional colleague in the Piano World. She had known Tim in the Piano World. At the time Tim knew her, she had been married, but was since divorced, and now remarried to an older, and obviously wealthy man (as you will learn from the story).

As some of the women judges were admiring my ring and asking about my upcoming wedding plans, Mary remarked to me, "Your ring is beautiful. I wish I'd gotten a smaller diamond like yours. Mine is such a burden to wear. I'm always worrying it will get stolen, or I'll lose it, or damage it. I should have gotten something more sensible like yours. My husband paid $27,000 for this set and it just worries me something awful. You know, the larger the center stone, the more valuable the set."

Oh, really?!? Well. What. could. I. say. to. that? ? ? ? ?

All I said was, "Well, mine is insured so if something happens, it would be sad, but at least we could replace it." Readers, my ring is not really all that "sensible". It's certainly not ostentatious, but it is a full two carats, with the center stone weighing in at 1.10. The diamonds are all F in color (nearly colorless), etc. It's a fine ring.

What I SHOULD have said was, "All that money wasted on a ring that you wear on those liver-spotted hands of yours! Ouch!!! Bet your husband's sorry to have paid all that money to adorn those claws of yours."

What do you think of THAT?!?

People.