Wedding Season

I can count at least four people I know who have or will be getting married before the summer is out. One of the most notable being my ex...a mere five months after our split. I guess that should be a sign that things weren't quite right, huh? It got me thinking though about marriage, about what it means to different people.

I've become a little jaded with the idea myself. This is not to say that I'm against marriages, but I don't think that they are the end-all and be-all of a relationship. Take that lesbian couple who got married after CA legalized same-sex marriages. They had been together for 55 years; at that point did they really need the government to tell them that it was ok to be together? Does that piece of paper really mean that much to their relationship, that it is somehow validated? I think it was a sham and a publicity stunt myself. You don't need Gavin Newsome to tell you that it's ok to be together... Hell, I don't think government should have anything to do with the institution of marriage, but that's an entirely different topic.

What does marriage really mean, anyway? Look at the staggering number of divorces each year - why go through the trouble? I am completely ok with the idea of love, I am excited at the prospect of feeling that way again, and I am very happy for people who feel it now because it is so wonderful. But what compells us to get married. Tradition? Being shamed by others for not being married? Pressure from parents? Frankly, I don't know, and I'm not 100% sure if it's necessary.

Now this is not to say that I'd poo poo anyone for going through with it. Quite opposite, frankly. I heartily congratulate my friends who have gotten married and wish them all the best of luck and a happy life - that's what we all deserve, after all. But do we need that little piece of paper to say that you love each other...isn't it good enough for each to simply know? Hell, the tax benefits aren't even that great.

Oh well...I'll revisit this idea when I'm thinking about making the leap myself. Until then, I'll stay a little bit cynical. After all, I've earned that right.

Cheers!

-down with marriage jonathon