Eating Disorders

Bride-to-be Jennifer Wilbanks, 32, who vanished days before her wedding, called home on the eve of that wedding. Initially claiming she had been abducted, she quickly admitted that she had cold feet and "needed some time alone."

Her disappearance set off a nationwide (wo)man hunt. Randy Belcher, police chief of Duluth, Georgia, the Atlanta suburb where Wilbanks lives with her fiancé, said,"It turns out that Miss Wilbanks basically felt the pressure of this large wedding and could not handle it." He added that there will be no criminal charges.

Wilbanks' face portrays today's personification of many selfish individuals who are unconcerned with consequences and feel empowered to do whatever they feel like doing.

Imagine the close, tender, sharing, open and caring relationships she had with her fiancé and parents. Imagine the vacant upbringing. Imagine the joke put upon the media which instantly over-reacts simply to report on another trailer park trash story. Imagine the police resources expended and the frustration imposed on policemen everywhere who work diligently to rescue people from the potential dangers Wilbanks falsely perpetrated upon herself.

Imagine the kids that might have come from her marriage and their eating disorders.

Imagine how many women and men everywhere are thinking, "If only I had had the guts to have done that." Or, even to have just said, "No thank you."

Days after her return home she held fast to her contention that she did nothing wrong. Shades of Martha Stewart here.

Wilbanks should be liable for all costs expended upon all police and rescue agencies. Instead she will probably be interviewed by some Katie Couric type and get a book contract so we can all whine and wail about her self-imposed tragedy. Some women's group will no doubt blame her tragic reaction upon her fiancé -- a man.