It's becoming an Epidemic

Okay, so I know I just posted something about weddings last week, but there have been more changes in the last few days. For one thing, another one of my friends now has a ring floating on her finger and she's floating in air. She's getting m-a-r-r-i-e-d. In like two years according to her. But she's now among the engaged. I heard this rumor from a friend of mine who then said that our mutual friend J would be the next to go. "J?" I said. "No way."

When I got off the phone I told Boyfriend this, expecting a large laugh and agreement from him. Instead he nodded his head slowly and said, "I know." I said, "Know what?" "About J heading towards nuptial land." I was floored. "You do?" I said. "When did this happen?" "J said something about it recently. Not like it's going to happen tomorrow, but at some point." I sat there in silence, thinking that pretty soon all of my friends were going to be taken. And it wasn't going to be pretty. So I'm calling it a recent epidemic. Seriously I'm wondering how much longer we can be expected to deal with all the diamonds being sold throughout the East Coast. Because, contrary to popular belief, it's no longer just a Southern thing. It's all over the place. On top of that, I am currently aware of not one, not two, but three weddings that occurred this weekend involving friends or sorority sisters of mine.

It's weird. In the 80s, the average age of first marriage went up significantly. Then throughout the nineties it remained pretty high. Now, all of a sudden it has dropped back down- the average age for a woman being 25, and the average age for a man being 27. That's the lowest it's been in decades. It makes me wonder how all the women libbers out there would have felt had they known their efforts were going to be for naught, that in the end, it would come back to where it began- wives in the kitchen, spatula in hand. At the ripe old age of 22. I'm interested in this sudden turn.

Don't get me wrong. I definitely want to get married someday. To someone I love and care about and feel I can spend the rest of my life with. But there are other things that need to happen first, for me. One, that I become totally financially independent. Two, that I'm able to go to grad school and develop a career I love. These are important things, too. I think everyone should live on their own before they get married. Just so they know they can do it! If nothing else, so they can feel good about themselves and their work without having tot have another person. Yes, I know I'm one to talk since I'm in pretty serious relationship with Boyfriend, but it's true. If I hadn't met him, I think I would have remained single for a long time. Actually, I had planned to remain single until I met him, and even when we first started dating and it was a casual thing (of course, that was over three years ago). But I'm also one to admit when I have a good thing. And I definitely have a good thing going right now.