Marriage Musings

Whiling away in the aisles of Walgreen’s, I happened upon Jessica Biel’s cover on Allure magazine (June 2009); with interest (admittedly), I searched the teaser copy and found a quote from her: “I have no idea if I want to get married” (it said, dressed in white). Uh, Jessica, I’m going to call bull-pucky on that one. Now please, I’m not being perverse about this, insisting that all women want to get married, but, beyond the fantasy presented and represented again and again in fairy tales and movies that has "brainwashed" us, there’s actually a very true, genuine reason for wanting to be married. Here it is: it means someone choosing to love you so much that they want to legally and "socially" bind their self to you. Wow. It means he/she only wants you, in every way, forever (ostensibly). Even if you object to the institution of marriage, who doesn’t want to be loved like this—not for any familial obligation, but because you’re so gosh-darn amazing? Marriage is thus the most profound way to show, to prove you love that special someone: you’re in essence adopting them, formally making them a part of your family (or, for the cynics, making it very difficult to leave). And, if you haven’t proposed or been proposed to because your parents were divorced and you're all traumatized, after a significant span of years, not getting married does mean something very hurtful if one of you in the relationship does seek this official union. It means you want to be able to leave easily, readily. It means you don’t love that person enough to be bound by every means possible, to make them all yours. So Justin, call Jessica’s bluff: ask her to marry you; I’m confident she will say “yes.” Or is she unsure only because you are?