If you ask me, cohabitation and premarital sex is just like washing paper plates and foil.
No seriously. I had an aunt who used to do that. Mind you, she had plenty of other quirky habits, but that one took the cake. You know how when you have large family gatherings, you buy those five foot stacks of paper plates and plastic red cups? Why? Because nobody feels like washing all those daggone dishes after Pookie and them go home and leave you to clean up their mess. The pots and pans are bad enough!
I digress. What does this have to do with cohabitation, let alone sex? Let me show you this little snippet from Wikipedia. (Lord, what would we do without Google?)
“Today, cohabitation is a common pattern among people in the Western world. People may live together for a number of reasons. These may include wanting to test compatibility or to establish financial security before getting married…
Other reasons include living as a way for polygamists or polyamorists to avoid breaking the law, or as a way to avoid the higher income taxes paid by some two-income married couples (in the United States), negative effects on pension payments (among older people), or philosophical opposition to the institution of marriage (that is, seeing little difference between the commitment to live together and the commitment to marriage). Some individuals also may choose to cohabit because they see their relationships as being private and personal matters, and not to be controlled by political, religious or patriarchal institutions.
Some couples prefer cohabitation because it does not legally commit them for an extended period, and because it is easier to establish and dissolve without the legal costs often associated with a divorce.”
Click here to see the entire article.
"But Tiarra, that doesn't sound that bad." Hogwash, I say!
It makes marriage sound like an inconvenience. Which it is, of course. But that’s my point! Go with me here.
Cohabitation/Premarital Sex=Paper plates
Marriage= Glass plates
Why do we buy paper plates? Purely because of convenience. They’re cheap, efficient, and disposable. You can use them almost as much as you want to, and throw them away when you want. My crazy aunt would wash those paper plates over and over again, sheerly (made up that word, YES) because she knew she could throw them away as soon as she got ready. She could enjoy the benefits of a real plate, with an easy out.
Are you getting this?
Marriage is an inconvenience. Like glass plates, it’s a costly affair. It requires a ton of work and must be taken seriously and handled with care. You cannot simply throw it away when you get tired of it. You feel some kind of way when it is damaged, and it’s not easy to replace.
BUT.
Which is more valuable? Which is a better investment in the long term? Which is of a higher quality? Which do you feel proud showing off to your granny?
Glass plates and marriage, people…glass plates and marriage.
~Tiarra
P.S. And that “try it before you buy it” line is TOO tired. A person is not a car! Make the full commitment or leave the whole thing alone. Bananas and tomfoolery.
P.P.S. If a man tells you he’s fully committed to you and doesn’t want anybody but you and doesn’t believe in the “institution” of marriage? There’s a good chance he won’t believe in the “institution” of paying his taxes. Or keeping his thing away from other women. Or washing his socks. Or supporting his kids. I’m just saying.
