Many a little girl and boy grow up dreaming about their wedding day. I know I did. Okay, so maybe the little boys don’t dream about fancy white dresses except for wondering how they’re going to manage all those buttons, but you get my drift. As with a lot of traditions, marriage is also being viewed through new eyes. People are deciding what to do with their lives based on what is right and makes sense for them and not what has traditionally been acceptable. One of the traditions is slowly falling by the wayside is marriage.
Me? Just give me the presents and the honeymoon; I couldn’t care less about the legalities. I’m not alone, and here’s why.
Divorce costs in terms of money and emotions. With the divorce rate being what it is, a lot of people don’t want to go through it a second time. Those that have never been married think they’re better off just skipping the whole marriage mess to begin with.
Minds get changed. That’s a fickle fact. What’s also changing is the fact that more and more people are willing to acknowledge that their preferences will change. They see no point in legally attaching themselves to someone else for the rest of their lives.
Slowly but surely the law is coming over to that side. Laws across the US are (or will) catching on to the fact that lots of people don’t want to be legally married. However, they share children, property or a business and they therefore think they are entitled to the same legal rights as legally married people. The laws aren’t the same in all states, so become informed by checking the laws in your state.
Increasingly, women are shrugging of being ceremoniously passed from one man (usually their father) to another (the groom). And then there’s the whole taking a man’s last name thing. Women are simply favoring choices in life that are more respectful of their autonomy and independence; and it’s just that, a choice.
Keeping a relationship genuine doesn’t require a piece of paper. That doesn’t mean that married couples aren’t sincerely devoted to each other, however, I’ve had more than a few unmarried couples tell me that they think people who need to make their relationship all legal and official are really just looking for a security blanket to cover their own insecurities about the relationship.
The bottom line used to be that we got married to have sex and have babies. These days we have almost unlimited options about who we have sex with and when we have it. Marriage is no longer required for procreation either; it’s a function of biology, not the law or tradition.
Of course people are still getting married and having kids. But as times have proven, it’s not the only option. Society has become much more flexible and open minded and we’re taking advantage of that in record numbers. We’re finding situations that work best for us and for our partner.
This post was developed by the staff of the Datepad.com internet dating company where you can find hundreds of professional dating posts.
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