Dec 14
The irony of marriage in the South
Why is there such an emphasis on marrying young in the Bible Belt?
I find it highly amusing that everyone in the South assumes that there is something wrong with a person if she chooses not to marry before the age of 30. Is marrying at 18 or 20 the better solution?
The Bible Belt leads the country in divorce!
Many factors contribute to the failure of marriage … income, race, religion, education, family history, geography and age. Did you see that? I said age! I won’t even try to address how the others play a role since I am already treading on dangerous ground.
Where am I getting my information?
I looked in several locations trying to find accurate divorce statistics by state. With a lot of unreliable sources out there, I was skeptical with everything I came across. I eventually found the information I needed from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (interesting location for statistics on divorce … I won’t even ask!).
Who wins this competition?
I am sure that it is of no surprise to anyone that the state that allows Elvis to guide the wedding ceremony is also the state that leads the nation in divorce. Second on the list is Arkansas!
Here are the top 10 …
1. Nevada
2. Arkansas
3. Oklahoma
4. West Virginia
5. Wyoming
6. Idaho
7. Kentucky
8. Tied … Alabama, Florida
9. Mississippi
10. Colorado
Is anyone shocked to hear that more than half of those states are right here in the Bible Belt? I didn’t think so!
This is a long way of saying …
I am not ready to marry. Quit trying to shove it down my throat! Feel free to control some other aspect of my being, but I am tired of people saying … “hmmm … I wonder what is wrong with her.” I will get married when I am ready! The truth is … I am not willing to settle … maybe the rest of you fools are!
What is with all the control freaks in the South anyway?
5 Comments so far
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You should never have to settle either! Divorce happens because people settle, and later realize that they are unhappy (well, that’s not always the case, but it’s a big factor I’m sure).
And why wouldn’t people get divorced at alarmingly fast rates; it’s so easy! You should have to jump through hoops to be granted a divorce; maybe then, people wouldn’t jump into a marriage so quickly!
Although, I will have to say, I don’t know many people “jumping” into a marriage anymore….Most of our friends are actually single/dating. The ones that are married were all married later.
Which friends of ours are single and dating? And, if you say the ones that are divorced that will only prove my point
I should also clarify that divorce can be necessary and no one should be stuck in a mentally and/or physically abusive relationship. And, not everyone that marries young gets divorced. Obviously, many people that marry after 30 also divorce. I just think that waiting for when a person is ready and the brain has finished growing (after the age of 25) has some definite advantages. On the other hand, if both parties are willing to grow together and not divorce at the first sign of conflict then age is not even a factor.
Angela, you are so right! It is way too easy to divorce … no one tries anymore!
nah, I can only (honestly) think of one person that is divorced…the rest that are single/dating have yet to take the leap
Well, I for one, can say waiting to get married later in life is a good thing. I speak only from my own experience.
There was no way I would get married when I was 25. I was to busy having fun. Although I dated the same person all of that time it was good to have my “independence” while I was in my 20s.
Now that I am approaching 40 and been married for a little over a year I am glad I did it that way. I think if people wait to get married until somewhere between 33-40, chances of staying married are better. People settle down by then and don’t want to be in the party or single scene anymore. By the late 30s people are ready for the calmness of married life.
So, stay single until mid to late 30s that’s my 2 cents.
i just thought that married life is the happiest point of my life..:~