Here We Are by Dorothy Parker

For anyone who is married, whether you are newly weds or will be celebrating your golden anniversary, this story is for you. "Here we are" tells of a train ride that a newly married couple takes to get to their honeymoon destination. Along the way there are several misunderstandings between them. There are several underlying themes that run through this story: time, marriage and why we get married, sex, and our perspective on life. Throughout the story the exchanges become simple misunderstandings that seem to blow up into larger than life issues. The boy is obviously excited he is on his honeymoon and has his idea of what the perfect honeymoon night will be like. She, on the other hand, is thinking of letters she must write and simply trying to avoid the honeymoon. Ironically they are fighting on their wedding day and he states: "We won't ever fight any more, will we?" The statement "here we are, aren't we?" recurs throughout the story. It is as if this couple is unsure of what the future will hold, but they already have a precursor to the rest of their married life.

The Golden Honeymoon by Ring Lardner

The voice of this story is what caught my attention. The entire story is told from the perspective of an old man. From the first line we catch a glimpse of the voice: "Mother says that when I start talking I never know when to stop." I am sure that Gene and JoAnn would appreciate reading this story as it gives us a different perspective of life during their generation. The man tells of the trip he and his sweetheart make to celebrate their golden honeymoon. His trip is thoroughly detailed including his times of departure from each train stop. In the course of their trip he and his wife run into another couple...