Of life and lifemates - Part 1

I've just realised I'm getting a kick out of doing 'of' titles in the past few posts. Let's see how long that will last. :-)

Anyway, over a glass of iced chrysanthemum tea and loh shi fun last night, our diverse conversation topics touched on marriage, namely the number of people we know getting married. (amongst other things discussed). I said it's something I can blog about and Nick 'about to be chainsawed in his nightmare' dorian told me to do it and not just say I'll do it. So, voila.

One post won't be enough actually. Marriages, happily ever after, the 'ONE', call it by whatever name, I'd qualify as an expert speaker based on race alone.In fact, I could probably write a book on it. I honestly don't think any other race is as hung-up (for want of a better word) about marriage as Indian people are. At the age of 32 by Indian standards I'm probably considered over the hill in the marriage mart. "Kind" souls will point out that the only options available to me would be divorcés, widowers,axe murderers etc etc. Yet they STILL persist in trying to find me a life-partner.

And since they feel I'm not making an effort to find one, relatives, friends and the likes see fit to 'help' me out. In this modern day and age I've done the whole traditional meet-the-groom (and 1/2 a dozen of his family members) routine several times over. Initially I'd throw a tantrum to rival a two-year old prior to these 'meets'. Then I decided to take a philosophical view. The experiences make GREAT material. Who knows, I might end up becoming the Nia Vardalos of the Indian community! :-D

The way I see it, not EVERY single living soul on the planet is destined to have a life partner. And a life partner nowadays is not necessarily for life (yes, yes I know it's a cynical view but really, that's the truth. I mean, he/she could die, run away with the maid, run away with a younger woman, run way, divorce you and move to another country, marry someone else while still married to you (it's still abandonment in my book). Don't even let me get started on those who still have an invisible umbilical cord attached to their mothers. I mean I'm all for motherly love and all that but hello, if you're old enough to get married, have sex etc etc you'd think you'd be old enough to make decisions on your own without running to mummy all the time.

I'm not against marriage (really, I'm not). I read romance novels for crying out loud. I'm so into the prince charming, happily ever after fantasy but unless I'm a character in a Walt Disney movie, more often than not that ain't how real life is going down. Yes, it's nice to have a 'life-partner', yes, it would be nice to share whatever with someone who's ACTUALLY with you because they want to and not because they're related to you by blood so don't have a choice :-D and all the other good/positive stuff that goes with having a 'significant other'.

That doesn't mean you just close your eyes and jump. I mean I'm happy being single and the point of getting into the whole romance/relationship planet is to be H-A-P-P-I-E-R. The wedding is just like a teaser...but no matter how good a teaser it won't save the movie if the casting is crap and the storyline weak ;-)
So until I get a near-perfect-dream cast and a good story, I'm going to enjoy being a bachelorette and just...channel-surf :-D