We know that all (er, most) marriages begin with the stoic assumption of “’til death”, “happily ever after” and overall perma-bindings. It’s part of what makes marriage such a daunting/exciting/significant/scary-as-hell endeavor. It’s the reason airlines offer cheap flights to Vegas and stores sell penis-shaped crowns, so that men and yeah, women too, can embark on a night of total debauchery just because it’s the last time they’re given social acceptance to do so. But, to be clear, it’s also a probable cause behind the horse-bucking trend, of husbands and wives straying from their partners, leading secret lives, hitting a mid-life road block, and generally stressing themselves out.
Permanent is an impossible idea to grasp nowadays, in the age of micro-this and instant-that. We don’t really know “permanent” anymore. Small case in point: who here has gotten a perm after 1996?
Mexico has garnered recent attention for its uber-progressive proposal that, if passed, would shorten the allowable span on the legal contract that is marriage. For a country of predominantly Catholic conservatives, the legislation is pretty surprising; although the capitol city has introduced liberal laws on numerous social issues, including legalization of abortion and gay marriage.
The bill would allow couples to specify a time frame on their marriage license – a minimum of two years. Once the agreement is reaching its expiration, the couple can choose to renew their partnership, or let the contract run out. No messy divorce required. Understandably, the proposed legislation has angered right-leaning politicians, who say that it weakens the institution and offers couples too quick of a fix to get out. But the reality is, a fair number of folks (half, in Mexico City) are jumping the marriage ship as it stands. There’s nothing to prove this number won’t rise. But allowing couples time to evaluate their state of affairs actually sounds like a fairly responsible approach to marriage, when we consider the fact that – in legal terms – marriage is a business deal.
It seems unlikely that such an amendment would ever be made to marriage here in the U.S., since the majority of our states can’t seem to wrap their heads around the idea of two dudes being in love. But if it was – would the marriage-fearing folks (myself, included) be more likely to test it out? Marriage, particularly its antiquated ideals, has been a hot topic lately, and this cover story in the Atlantic is the latest to question the relevance of traditional marriage for the modern woman. Read on, and let us know what’s up!
