The subject of gay marriage does not interest me—-I just find it curious. I have very shallow and practical views regarding marriage in general. Marriage is an industry, as I found out from my formerly engaged daughter who resided in Bridezilla World a few years ago.
There are specialists in all things attached to the wedding biz, from planners, photographers, cake-makers, banquet halls, to car drivers, honeymoon planners, and so forth and it seems like prices for everything begin at four and five figures.
In other words, marriage is an industry and a meat grinder for the daddy of the bride’s wallet. And, as a man, I’m not a big fan of blowing in five hours what will take three or four years to pay off. Most men feel this way, but all fathers love their daughters (and their wives, who are enchanted by the weddings of their daughters and care not about the costs).
But enough about weddings, which have little to do with marriage, outside of sentimentalizing its eternal implications. Marriage is hard and probably unnatural, given how many of them fail and the preponderance of spouses who cheat on each other.
In fact, I hate the word “cheat” as used in this context-— fidelity is hardly a game with winners and losers. Fornication is not cheating, really; it often involves capitulating to an overwhelming impulse with the potential to damage terribly or terminate long-term relationships.
That’s not a game in my book. A competitive sport it is not. I’m not sure I believe in marriage, even though I happen to enjoy a long and happy one with my life mate. But I’ve always regarded our marriage as an exception to the many broken and unhappy ones in the world.
Why do gays want a piece of that action? Why take on the risk, the imperfection of the institution? Sure, in a free society, it’s downright criminal to deny them the right to wed. I just question their good sense in acting upon it.
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