Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Relationship Injustice Part 7 - Fidelity

It's a damn shame that so much deception, strategy, and maneuvering is prevelant in stale relationships, be they marital or otherwise. The world of the big city, bars, meeting places, adult playgrounds, and the like, are always monstrous pillars of temptation for those that might sense disquietude in their current relationship. There are always those married couples that hide away in the remote suburbs, avoid contact with anyone that isn't family, and play things safe. Good for them, and for many, this is a satisfactory existence. I find it a bit too codependent, insecure, and over-protective, but it isn't for myself or anyone else to judge. My company line has always been, regarding commitment, "Don't buy the car if you can't make the payments". Some people want it both ways - the security of a spouse, but also the impetuosity of pursuing urges, recognizing them, and caring little for any subsequent ramifications.

Then, there are those that go out without the significant other, hit the bar, drink, maybe cheat, and no single step or moment singularly defines a problem with the relationship. Clearly being out on one's own, without the other person in tow, is a sign of some type of distress. Social environments like bars are so brutal as "adult playgrounds" with the bevy of stripped inhibitions, partially dissatisfied couples, solo artists, and leeches.

With the steadily growing divorce rate, people have less and less (here's a funny) faith in fidelity, as there had been so many divorces and broken homes in the previous generation. Everything seems like a pyramid scheme; as one couple divorces, then the generation below them seems inclined to divorce or cheat, and so on, and so on, etc. It's exponential. It truly seems that one day in our lives, marriage will be an anachronistic rite, preserved within isolated sects and regions that seek the old ways. Why marry someone if there's still a chance you'll carry a torch for someone else, take the spouse for granted, or otherwise taint yourself with thoughts of another person?

The very definition of marriage has long since been bastardized by the very nature of people's zest for personal gratification. Forget the vitamins, I want the candy bar. Forget the long term plans, I want the quick fix. I have no idea how the upcoming generations will turn out, given the broken homes and split households that pepper modern society. Odds are good that in a few years, the institution of marriage will be a distant memory, and couples will merely mate, part ways, and leave the offspring to the ills of unconventional wisdom, thus only to replicate their parentless upbringings in their own adulthood.

No comments: