Everyone has a crew- your inner core circle of friends. All it takes is one of them- one of them to spark up and The Rest Begin To Gravitate And Follow. Before you know it, everyone wants it and everyone has to have it! It’s good for people that have been together for a while because it forces them to think about their future. But lately I’ve been noticing a lot of people making hasty decisions, including the acclaimed "no-matter what I know that I want to wait!" group. I’m referring to them as hasty decisions because these people were so sure on waiting, that they fought with others to prove their reasons to wait! (If you think I'm talking about you particularly... I'm not... it's a coincidence). But as soon as one of their friend’s gets hitched it’s almost as if a siren went off and all of a sudden everyone is scrambling. What happened to these reasons? Where did they go? No one knows. No one cares. And it's none of my business.
Their behavior boggles me. It amazes and boggles me all at the same time. Forgive me for bringing business into this. But whatever it is, it’s working. It is effective advertising. People relate and people start buying into it almost immediately. I mean, there is enough supply of marriage to go around. Are people scrambling because of a short supply in marriage material? Because I’m starting to see a trend in our generation where “not-right-for-each- other” marriage materials are waking up into year two and three.
So yes, I am curious to see what explains this increase in demand? (To sum up ECON 101) I know there is a market of legitimate marriage buyers who consist of those who have done their research, have been saving up for the right time, and can afford it. I’m more interested in the market that goes Ga-Ga (minus the lady) after someone they know makes a purchase. Is it an itch, irrational purchase, light bulb moment – What is the BIG deal?
This time of year reminds me of Christmas while I was in grade five. A girl in my class got a talking Elmo for her birthday and everyone wanted a piece. All kids born between Sept- Dec were trendsetters for Christmas wish lists. That year, like all others was a shopping shit show for parents. It wasn’t just my class, it was every grade from 1-5 in like all of North America. I recall our lunch recess parent volunteers brainstorming ways to purchase three talking Elmos the day after the Disney store advertised a limit of one per household. By the way, guess who almost got a talking Elmo- that’s right *itches “almost”! Most Brown parents didn’t know what it was. By the time they found out about it – a year later- Zellers had a knock off. And my brown parents couldn’t justify the dif between the $29.99 one and the $99.99 one. They both looked the same. Years later I realized the one from Zellers was a shade darker and had a weird accent. I don’t know. But this shit was on fire. Then it was game boy, play station, guitar hero, G.I. Joe figurines, Silver Jean's overalls (I think every girl from my generation owned a pair), Modrobe pants, the Coach wristlet, Tiffany's bracelet, so on.
Back on point, this is marriage we’re talking about- a lifelong commitment. Every married couple says it sucks, it’s difficult and you really need to know what you’re getting yourself into. Couples that have been married for > 3 years will tell you to wait as much you can and not to rush into it. The ones that are married for < 3 years provide inconclusive reasons because a) they don’t exist (already divorced or separated), b) are still in their honey phase and so want everyone to get married … so that everyone can have their babies together. Notice the correlation between marriage and having babies? Hmm fishy fishy… both seem to be contagious purchases!
I think marriage is a niche market- not everyone is a buyer. So why is there so much buying going on at this time of the year? Someone needs to study this shit. I’m in the market for a good marriage. I’ve been researching it. I’ve been doing my homework. So I think I can identify with buyers like me. But I can’t say the same for a lot of people. All this power buying isn’t confusing my personal reasons. But it does raise a lot of questions. Look around you. Is everyone in a rush to get somewhere? Is this some sort of a rat race? Did my invite get lost in the mail?
Maybe I have partial answers. I think the wedding season is a melting pot. It’s a tossup between where you thought you would be versus where you are right now and who you thought you would be with versus who you are with right now. If you’re into horoscopes, you’ll agree with my reasons for comparing it to an eclipse. If you’re not familiar, eclipses affect everyone. Some signs experience it more than others. They re-surface unresolved situations that have been lingering in your life. These situations involve people/circumstances or in some case both. Many believe eclipses are a good thing because they bring solutions and closure. This leads me to believe the wedding season is the mammoth mother ship of all eclipses when it comes to relationships.
However, I would argue that it’s a good thing! If you’re attached and you’re genuinely happy it makes your relationship stronger and more aligned with your goals. If you’re attached but your facebook status says “it’s complicated” it forces you to challenge some of the issues that are bothering you. If you’ve recently split up and are looking, this will force you to get over it quickly and get yourself out there. And if you’re single and happy, you won’t be bothered by it. I suppose it boils down to how secure you feel about who/where you are today. I’ve always said that insecurities are itchy and can quickly develop into a rash. I justify these rashes as good physical indicators of irritants that don’t suit you. Some people need to see it to believe it. So I get why people are forced to evaluate their relationships but I don’t understand how it instantaneously trends into a contagious and almost impulsive purchase. This is food for thought yo.
Disclaimer: My blog is welcome to all walks of life. I'm not judging nor singling anyone out to make a blog out of their life. I apologize if the events expressed in this or any other blog closely resemble your life situation. My thoughts and feelings are not intended to hurt others. If I'm writing about you, you'll be the first to know about it because I'll have your permission to do so.
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