# Marriage



## Divus (Sep 24, 2013)

*Marriage*
My wife and I have lived together for just over 50 years.   That’s a long time.    Already several members of the next generation in our family, namely my wife’s married nieces and nephews, have succumbed to divorce.  For various reasons schisms seem to have formed, partnerships have been quickly dissolved and antipathy has bred as if a bacteria.      Notably nowadays, couples don’t seem to bother to tie the knot for a second time around.   No doubt, “_once bitten, twice shy_“.   Solicitor, are, on the other hand, thriving.
Our  marriage has survived the passage of time  well, even though  I would not say we are an overtly lovey dovey couple.   We don’t go around kissing and hugging but we do know each other inside and out, warts and all.   We have always made space  for each other both mentally and physically.   We now are in our  dotage and sooner or later death will intervene and erase one of us from the scene, although I can’t envisage that for the survivor  the memory of the first deceased will fade.
In the UK the institution of marriage has been under serious attack.     Back in the days of  our youth,  the ceremony was an affirmation, recognised in law, for two people, one male, the other female, to join together and to share the experiences of a  lifetime, along with the enjoyment of  the mutually owned possessions. We have indeed shared whatever joy and tribulations that fate has brought along.     Our ’vow’ to each other was witnessed half a century ago by a few friends and recorded by an official in a registry in the town hall.     After the ceremony, with the bride and groom all dressed up in black finery, we adjourned to a pub for a meal and a drink or two.     Not much money was spent  on the marriage ceremony for the simple reason that at the time there was not much money to spend.      Neither set of parents attended, nor did any relatives.  After the ceremony I pondered over what new criteria I had sworn to abide by but at the time I did not even consider  how long I might be bound by the rules of matrimony.   As it has happened,  the two of us have got along pretty well despite a few tribulations over the years.     We have never regretted the absence of children which for one reason or another we could never afford to beget.    My wife will never be a Grandma.     
For my part I have tried to maintain the woman in my life oiled and in good condition.   The spring has been routinely wound up.   She has been regularly serviced  and  adjustment has been made for the time changes.  There have been a few mishaps but nothing serious that could not be repaired.    In return my dear wife has kept me watered, fed and satisfied.  The clock of life ticks and tocks on  for both of us.     The chime was disconnected long ago as it makes too much noise in what is otherwise a very quiet home environment.   In modern day money my dear wife is worth a lot more than the meagre price I paid for the acquisition and the certification of her.   She has been an excellent investment of time, patience and tolerance, and, all said, despite a few wrinkles here and there and the odd gray hair or two, she is still in fairly good knick.         What a lucky man I have been.     There is a saying: ‘familiarity breeds ‘contempt’’ - or should it be ‘contentment’?
Of course, then  there is my stainless steel Seiko wrist watch which I have worn  for almost forty years.   That has ticked and tocked without fail  but it did cost a lot more to acquire than the licence to marry.    It was telling me the time when I dived down 200 feet to visit the German Battleship, The Blucher,   I didn’t ask my wife to accompany me on that memorable trip down to the bottom of Scapa Flow but there again she hadn’t vowed to do that when she said: “I do” in the registry office.   And although  she had  not promised to ride my horse, I must say that she has ridden the mare far better then me.It has  all been a matter of give and take and the design of the wedding dress was of no consequence, 

Dv


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## PiP (Sep 25, 2013)

I enjoyed this, Dv 




> Not much money was spent  on the marriage ceremony for the simple reason that at the time there was not much money to spend.



My son has just 'tied the knot' and the amount of money spent on the wedding was obscene. I won't be around to see if they are still together in 50years but the debt they incurred will probably last that long, so I hope so. 



> It has  all been a matter of give and take and the design of the wedding dress was of no consequence,



and more about marriage than superfluous trimmings  

PiP


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## Divus (Sep 25, 2013)

Pip,  It was good to read your comments.   Thank you.     It has been a while since I posted on the Forum and I worried lest I had lost touch with the taste of today's readers. DV

- - - Updated - - -

Pip,  It was good to read your comments.   Thank you.     It has been a while since I posted on the Forum and I worried lest I had lost touch with the taste of today's readers. DV


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## PiP (Sep 25, 2013)

Hi DV,

I hope my son does not read these comments  For the amount the wedding cost they could have put a deposit down on a house as we did. Our wedding was far from grand and over 30years ago.

In my opinion you haven't lost touch and just believe in the good old fashioned values. Welcome back to WF and I hope you  post more of your work.

PiP


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## escorial (Sep 25, 2013)

man the only way to see life is through your own experiences


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## Kevin (Sep 25, 2013)

> It has been a while since I posted on the Forum and I worried lest I had lost touch with the taste of today's readers. DV


 Heh...Oh baloney!  We are a far and wide group so post away.


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## ejrosetta (Sep 27, 2013)

I really enjoyed reading this, we should all be so lucky! Thanks for posting. I loved the phrase "or should that be contentment". Very touching.


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## Gypsy (Oct 8, 2013)

It tickles me to read this. Fifty years hell yeah! I can relate to this well the marriage part...we got married in May, just two homeless travelers and three dollars spent on thrift store rings. Some random courthouse in Oklahoma...honey moon at the Choctaw Casino with the free play. Good golly your write up give me shivers of hope. Even when we go to church groups we are the only married couple, not writing that from the point of self righteousness but culture shock, even the preacher's kid has a live in girlfriend.


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## tinacrabapple (Oct 12, 2013)

This is a great description of what a content marriage is like. Nice offering, enjoyed!


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## Jason (Oct 31, 2013)

No comment on the writing.  Just fine.  Thanks for the subject matter.  We are well past the 30 year mark and have always held that the wedding was pretty much nothing (a five minute justice of the peace ceremony) but the marriage has been, and remains spectacular.  Best think I have ever done was be lucky enough to get her.


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