Today, I got an email from an old friend inviting me to his wedding reception. Since I didn't knowhe was getting married, it came as a surprise. Its been a while since I attended a friend's wedding--the last one was in December 2015. There was a wave of weddings in the winter of 2012, but since then, weddings have been few and far between. As far as close friends go, I don't anticipate any weddings in the near future, although there could always be surprises, like this one.
While I am happy for my friends who are happily married, marriage does mean I see less of them. And when they have kids, they practically disappear. It used to be that most of my close friends were coupled up, if not married. I would occasionally feel jealous of them, but not anymore. Maybe I have changed, maybe the world is changing. In recent years, most of my new friends are single, and single people seem to be everywhere and quite content with their relationship status. And, today, I read an article which said childless women who had never married were happier than married or divorced women or mothers. I have believed for some time now that surviving the triple crisis of capitalism, liberal democracy and the climate would require fundamental changes, not only in the political and economic spheres but also in the social and individual spheres. The rise of people who don't want children because of the state of the world are an example. Marriage and children may cease to be the chief markers of a settled life. Of course, finding your soulmate is definitely something to be celebrated. But, one can't wait around to find one's soulmate. "Your choices are half chance".
While I am happy for my friends who are happily married, marriage does mean I see less of them. And when they have kids, they practically disappear. It used to be that most of my close friends were coupled up, if not married. I would occasionally feel jealous of them, but not anymore. Maybe I have changed, maybe the world is changing. In recent years, most of my new friends are single, and single people seem to be everywhere and quite content with their relationship status. And, today, I read an article which said childless women who had never married were happier than married or divorced women or mothers. I have believed for some time now that surviving the triple crisis of capitalism, liberal democracy and the climate would require fundamental changes, not only in the political and economic spheres but also in the social and individual spheres. The rise of people who don't want children because of the state of the world are an example. Marriage and children may cease to be the chief markers of a settled life. Of course, finding your soulmate is definitely something to be celebrated. But, one can't wait around to find one's soulmate. "Your choices are half chance".
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