Archive for July 15th, 2008
Glamorization of Marriage/Children
I have a big problem with mainstream media, mainly in the sense that they are brainwashing women to want to marry and have children with the recent glamorization of weddings and pregnancy and the way they portray it as if it’s wrong not to want these things, or how they make you feel as if you’re a failure if you haven’t achieved these things by the time you’re a certain age, like you’re late 20’s. It seems almost reminiscent with the 1950’s and how the women were considered spinsters if they hadn’t married by the time they were 23.
Let me start by saying I’m 31, and will soon be 32. I was married and divorced two years later and have been living with my current boyfriend and his son for two years now. It’s been wonderful! We have your typical best friend/lovers type of relationship that a lot of people envy, and I personally have never been happier. We live like we’re a family yet according to society and our laws, we’re not a family yet since we’re not married yet. Yet, there’s been this uneasiness within me.
With the current glamorization of marriage I feel inadequate as a woman simply because I was divorced in my late 20’s and have not had children yet and am in my early 30’s, which is leading me down a cycle of depression, anxiety and an almost obsession with marriage and kids. I know I shouldn’t pay any attention to the media (I should just turn the freaking T.V. off and read!) but it’s everywhere! I can’t walk down the street and look at the newspaper racks because someone is talking about who’s pregnant, who’s engaged, who’s adopting, etc. I go on the internet, and BLAMO! There it is. It’s as if there is this crazy obsession in the media with family and procreation and it’s creating a lot of uneasiness within me.
So why don’t we simply get married? Well, it’s not that easy, and frankly it’s a bit personal, but what it comes down to is that we’re simply not ready right now. As for the kids portion, same thing, but why do I have to be made to feel as if I’m inadequate as a woman because I feel my children and my relationship will benefit if we were to just wait a little while longer?
I have to wonder though, is it just me or do other women feel the same way about this? I’d love some input on this.
