Townsman, 1992-01, Page 13There's
always
some good
reason
why people
get married
BY SANDRA ORR
There is always some good reason
why people get married. Some of the
reasons I have heard lately:
"We can't go to Florida unless we
are married."
"I am graduating this year so we can
get married."
"If someone loses their job, or it is
reduced to a part-time job, it is time to
get married."
"My divorce is through so it is time
to get married."
All these reasons sound like an
apology when marriage used to be an
uneasy union of two souls, an entwin-
ing of two jarring personalities into
one. Almost everyone is getting mar-
ried. Even old people are doing it.
"Grandma and Doug are getting
married," said a young lady, who was
five going on six. It was the big news
of the summer.
"When?" I asked.
She shook her head. It was sup-
posed to be a secret.
"Don't buy us anything," I was told.
Granted, they have two of everything,
including houses and sets of children,
not 13 each, but still quite a few.
They are old enough to know better,
so old they are set in their ways and
won't listen to anybody, so why don't
they elope?
"A lot of old people are getting
married these days," people tell me. "I
guess they don't want to be alone."
Get married while you can still walk,
while you can still get in and out of
the car.
A scrabble game was bought for
those long evenings septuagenarians
apparently have, but it was opened
and used by the younger before it
could be given as a present. Let the
children do their thing.
"Hurrah," was my first reaction.
Someone to pick on, to boss around,
and it won't be me.
"What a surprise," others say. "Isn't
that a surprise?"
"Well, I would say so," I said, since
I'd just heard a few months ago that
she didn't want to wash anybody's
socks. It took her on average three
weeks to pack for an ordinary trip and
three days to get ready for somebody
else's wedding.
Marriage is not relegated to the old.
One girl who had been married
before, and still hadn't learned, kept a
record of what the cat she babysat did
all week. Sneezy did this. Sneezy did
that. "He shredded the curtains and
soiled the rug and drank the milk and,
guess what? I got married on Friday."
Getting married takes a weekend.
On Friday, you are single and blame-
less and Tuesday you are a harpy with
needs that have to be met. On Thurs-
day, he was happily ironing his own
shirts and the next week he com-
plained that you didn't do them prop-
erly around the buttons. "Do them
yourself, from here on in," you retort.
Such is married life. If you aren't
living with your spouse, you can
always fight over the phone. If you
aren't winning, you can hang up.
Recently, my daughter and her
boyfriend went to London to buy a
suit to go to all the weddings they are
invited to this year. He came home
with two at a very good price. Now,
he has to be persuaded to go to the
celebrations. I think they see the
bright side of things so far and look
forward to the prospect of being mar-
ried. They see a wedding reception as
a good time, not as a gauntlet to be
run.
I can remember one wedding, when
I was setting the tables. "Our family
sits here and they are sitting over
there," says the mother of the bride.
Trouble already.
It is part of the statistics, when you
are born, when you marry, and when
you die. It is one of the three impor-
tant things in life. Too bad, people
don't spend more time planning for it,
procrastinating the inevitable, maybe.
I can remember when the blushing
bride, fortified with a few drinks of
rum punch, supervised the mock wed-
dings on the Jolly Roger, while we
watched, terribly embarrassed.
So, she was drunk. What's your
excuse? Why, when we go on our
honeymoon we get a reduced rate at
the motel we have been frequenting.
I would rather not tie the knot. It
unravels too soon.
.journey Back to
the Country
wit h
Jim & Lana McKague
& family
at Belmore, Ontario
Come and enjoy 1 torsc-drawn
Wagon or Sleigh rides, with old
fashioned country hospitality.
Specializing in group visits,
Service Clubs, Church Groups,
Office Parties, Families and Senior
Citizen Groups.
Bookings now being accepted for
the season.
Be sure to come and see us when
you're at the 25th Anniversary of
Belmore's Maple Syrup Festival
April 9, 10 & 11
For further tnforrnation, contact:
Jim & Lana McKague
R.R. 1, Wroxeter, Ontario. NOG 2X0
Tel./Fax (519) 392-8736
TOWNSMAN/JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1992 11