Marriage should have an expiration date of ten years, or in some cases, seven.
Having been married for what seems like an eternity, although by actual chronological time has only been twelve years, I certainly have strong opinions concerning marriage.
Marriage is an ancient man made institution created for a variety of reasons that were basically financially motivated. Couples rarely got married because they were "in love."
My experience with marriage speaks strongly, and shouts "Ban Marriage!" "Marriage Kills!" "Say No To Marriage!" "Divorce Brings People Together!"
I'm all about the love, believe me--I'm just not all about the marriage. People shouldn't even live together, if you ask me. You're setting yourself up for misery. Make love, not war!
My opinions come from the perspective of a monogamous married woman. Relationships between men and women, men and men, women and women, and any other combination you can think of, are wonderful things.
Having said that, however, I am of the opinion that the idea of a marriage lasting forever is antiquated. No relationship can last forever. If we could just start with this realization, our lives would be so much easier.
We could dramatically cut the rate of commitment phobia issues if a mandatory expiration date were legally placed on all marriages. Once the marriage expires, a couple could then remarry for another ten years. This would also boost our economy by encouraging women to buy a new wedding dress and renting a nice hall for a second reception. The expression about going all out because you only get married once would become obsolete. The one drawback of this, I know, is putting marriage counselors out of business.
There is, undoubtedly, no better feeling in all the world than that warm, fuzzy one you get at the beginning of any love relationship. It's so great, as a matter of fact, why experience it only once? This also encourages people in society to take better care of themselves (thus cutting medical spending) so that they can live long, happy, re-marriageable lives.
Will I stay married forever? Probably. Is it because I'm still in love with my husband? No. It's just that I've been brainwashed by society into thinking I've failed as a person on certain levels if my relationship fails. So, I continue trudging along to prove I'm lovable because I'm part of a pair.
Will I encourage my children to stay married forever? Probably not. I hope to instill in them the virtues which were never instilled in me--strong sense of self, independence, and being true to oneself. If something isn't working for you and for those around you, it's ok to move on. As a matter of fact, it should be required.
