Every day I sit on our couch and work from home. When the day is over I start crocheting and I can't seem to get enough of it. I have opened my Etsy shop but I haven't posted anything for sell yet. Anyway, while I crochet I like to watch TV. Since we've been married we never had TV, and it was nice. Now that we have it, it's so easy to just turn it on even if it's just for background noise. The sad part is, it doesn't always leave you feeling uplifted.
I'm beginning to notice a pattern with the world--especially the rich and famous. I am so sick of hearing the excuse, "I was young" for all their mistakes like failed marriages, drugs, or sex tapes. These patterns seem to continue even into their 50s so I wonder if they are really learning anything from their mistakes. Seriously, quote me on it they all say it. Ironically, these same people are also saying, "Age is just a number!" So if age is just a number, why is age so often an excuse for not living up to responsibilities or commitments. I just don't get it. Then, later on they remarry and "give love another chance" and they end up single... again, divorced... again, dating... again. This pattern is just ridiculous. A part of me thinks, well maybe celebrities just get married to feel normal. That makes sense.
The world looks at marriage like dating--nothing lasts forever, and if you get sick of them or something bad happens, get out! No wonder the divorce rate now is so high.
The world looks at marriage like dating--nothing lasts forever, and if you get sick of them or something bad happens, get out! No wonder the divorce rate now is so high.
I recently watched Eat Pray Love. I was so excited to see it! It let me down. Yes, I was inspired to go to Italy, India and Bali, but I seriously left feeling sad. Why did she think she had to divorce her husband in order to do the things she always wanted, like traveling the world. Don't people know you can grow as an individual while still married? Isn't that one of the reasons we get married, to make each other better? I don't like how that movie sent a negative message to the world. I found out later that statistics of divorce went even higher--because of that movie! Can you imagine? People going home after seeing Eat Pray Love and pulling the card she did on her husband in the movie, "I don't want to be married anymore." It sickens me.
The way the world looks at marriage is truly messed up! I almost feel like sometimes people do things on purpose to upset their spouse and get out of their marriage (like on the movie He's Just Not That Into You). I'm not saying two people should stay married if they are getting abused or something. I'm just saying the world is too quick to sign divorce papers before being willing to make the positive changes to make marriage work and how to love their spouse. Often times, after big bumps in marriages the marriage gets better! It seems like people aren't trying anymore, even in the church. We are not perfect, no person is perfect, no marriage is perfect. Why can't we help each other become perfect and strengthen our marriages, rather then bail after the first time something really bad happens. Is the grass really greener on the other side?
I just wish the world would believe more in marriage. Marriage is awesome. Yes, it's not always easy and takes some work, but in the end it's worth it. We made vows that aren't meant to be broken. Selfishness is not a good excuse for divorce. I just hope when things get tough in our marriages for whatever reason, we will not be so quick to contribute to the nations rising divorce rate. Even when I was a student at BYU-I teachers would tell me about the 50% divorce rate, their divorce, or how some of us who are married now won't be married later. It's sad it has come to this. It may be reality, but it doesn't have to be you.
I know... kind of heavy thoughts but I am concerned and hope there are more people out there that realize making the decision to get married doesn't limit your choices, it just changes them.
you are a brilliant and thoughtful lil gal, megzeez. i loved this post. you are so right, i couldn't agree more. TV sucks. just watch desparate housewives on sundays and dexter heehee (so uplifting... right haha...)
ReplyDeletebut really... you made a lot of great points. it is sad how marriage and relationships are portrayed. i couldn't agree more with your brilliant statement that maybe celebrities just get married to feel "normal." i'd never thought of it that way, and that does make sense.
furthermore, i agree with eat pray love. i refuse to read the book. the movie was "good" but yes, the overall message, sucked... i know people here in hawaii that actually had their gfs BREAK UP with them the night of/morning after watching that movie. seirously freaking dumb.
it makes me wanna puke that people are idiotic enough to think movies dictate reality. are they freakin retarded? i hope their TV blows up.
the media is quite an evil tactic satan uses to make people blind. i have some serious beef with people who take movies literally... it's always bothered me, and to seriously watch eat pray love and then think "good idea, i wanna go travel da world!" is freaking dumb. HELLO PEOPLE, TAKE THE HUB WITH YOU DOUCHES!
sorry...
okay...
anyway.
I discovered your blog not too long ago. I don't actually know you, but I know your husband Drew, he and I did the badger creek program together, way back when, during freshman year.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't not comment on this post because I love how articulate you are in your writing, and I felt the exact same way after seeing this movie. My husband, of a whopping three months, and I saw this movie together, and he instantly got nervous, because he knows I have a passion for traveling and seeing the world. I laughed, but then realized that his concern is valid. How sad that so many woman will get the wrong idea from the movie/book, it equally sickens me that we live in such a great world, but one that's so messed up when it comes to true values.
Amen. Amen. Amen. I couldn't agree more with EVERYTHING you said! It's funny, I had these same thoughts run through my head this summer when I couldn't legally work and Brady was gone working 14 hour days - the TV and myself got quite close over the break... and there were just far too many "celebrity scandals" and crap like that going on. It just amazes me how quick some people are to result in divorce. Like you said, it seems like so many people these days get married because they want to have fun and be "grown up"... but how a lot of people find that if marriage isn't perfect bliss all the time that its not worth working at. And like you said about "He's just not that Into you"... thats the worst, is that some people try and give their spouse a reason to divorce them - its soo sad! And I also was dissappointed with Eat Pray Love. I loved the cultural traveling part of it... but my mom and I talked about it after and how sad it is that the message of the movie is that if you want to do other things with your life, that its perfectly acceptable to just divorce your spouse in the middle of the night. It was just sad that she didn't even give him a heads up... and didn't give him a chance to try and change or anything - it was just like BAM - done! :(
ReplyDeleteSad that marriage and love are toyed around with so much these days. Thanks for this post... its a good reminder to cherish the love you have and to always do everything you can to strengthen your marriage and relationship with your spouse! :)
meg love this post. you should start a movement and write a book, i would read it.
ReplyDeleteI think the problem in our LDS culture is that guys and girl think "if only I could get married, every thing will be easier. I won't have temptations, I won't have trials.." but the fact is, marriage is hard. Your trials change. Marriage takes a lot of work, but it's work you're happy to do because you love your spouse, and at the end of the day there's no one else you want to fall asleep next to. Satan will always provide the easy way out, but the easy way isn't the best way. It's easy to walk away from your problems, but you'll never get far, your problems will follow you. It's harder to put in the time and the work, but the blessings far out weigh the work. I think that LDS couples lose sight of the eternal perspective of the end goal. Just because you're married in the temple doesn't mean you have a celestial marriage. It just means the blessings and rights are sealed upon you.. not that they're guaranteed. I never read Eat, Pray, Love and I never saw the movie. I heard reviews from friends that said the same thing and just realized there was no need for me to see it. Thanks for posting this Meg, it gives people a chance to reflect on their marriage and how much of a blessing it is in our lives.
ReplyDeleteamen sista. HA
ReplyDeleteseriously though, marriage takes work. marriage hasn't limited me at all, it has opened me up to a whole world of possibilities. and with my best friend.
i lllove this post. :]
I love your post! So many people have skewed views of marriage. I'm so glad that I married a man who knows and respects me. I feel like single girls feel like marriage is a trap, and it puts you in a prison cell. However, when you meet the man you're going to marry, it doesn't feel like a trap at all- it's wonderful!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I read Eat, Pray, Love and I totally agree! Why couldn't she just talk to her husband about her issues and see if they could work through them? No need to just dump a divorce on him...the only good thing was that she felt bad about doing it.
I used to be worried that I would feel trapped in marriage, but it is truly the biggest blessing I'll ever experience.
so so so true. the world can be such a crazy place. thanks for the insight sis :) lets pray we all keep our focus where it needs to be!
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