contest entries

Apples of Gold entry 1

"Marrying is not marriage"

Here is a statement that the youth should be a hearing to. It could just be my part of the world, but the youth seem to have invented this odd in/out marrying thing.

Youth will marry one for the statue, benefits, or just to escape whatever is going on at home. Now I get that not everyone has a good home life, insurance is expensive and some may look at you differently if you are married. However, there is a lot more to a marriage than just marrying someone and that seems to be lost on the youth in my area.

I work with a 23yr old that has been "married" 3 times and is in the process of planning her 4th wedding. 23!
She married her first the week she turned 18. To some 35 year old man that she claims tricked her into believing she was the only women he ever loved, then brought her to up state to meet his 21yr old twins. She divorced him & won 1/2 his estate. The 2nd husband was his son to whom she managed to have twins with so she was getting alimony and child support every month from him.

The 3rd was a military guy that was part of some unit that was away a lot she gets life long benefits for her and the twins from the 2nd "marriage' for life due to 'marital neglect and abandonment' law the armed forces has. She was 'released from her vowed commitment' shortly after her 21st birthday. She went to Vegas to celebrate her freedom, hooked up with this latest victim.

Some middle aged well off idiot that goes around talking as if this is a life long commitment. Despite plenty of people informing him of her history. He is paying for the wedding, while paying for the twins to go to private school. Yet, still says this will be different and tells anyone that will listen just how much he loves her and she loves him...Fool.

I know a kid down the street from my local park that is only 21 with 4 devoices. She got permission from her parents when she was 16yrs old to marry her 1st husband. Once that happen the state saw her as an adult and no longer required parents permission for adult actions. She has not made a living off these guys like the one I work with has, but to talk to her about them she references gains she got out marrying them. Like the girl I work with they never speak of love, connections, or even common ground.

There are many more I could go on forever. It just saddens me to think that love has turned into a pet greeting like saying "howdy stranger" to a friend you haven't seen in awhile.

I have been married for 20 years. We dated for about 2 years before thinking of that step and even than we discussed the finer points of what we wanted out of life such as kids, careers and such before moving forward. We took our vows to heart when we said them to one another and we are devoted to working everyday to keeping though vows. Our love has produced children, grandchildren and homes and not once did we look at each other as a living, a mean of escape, or how to rise up in the worlds eyes.

Marrying is not a marriage, not these days. At least not around these parts. I weep so hard for the generations to come.