2008 Woodie Awards
Why I'm deciding to get married young
Lerone Graham
Section: Opinion
This past Christmas, I made the biggest decision of my life. In the blistering cold of Newport News' scenic Oyster Point City Center, surrounded by extravagant lighting and decorations, I got down on one knee, opened up a box containing an engagement ring, and asked my girlfriend for her hand in marriage. After her eyes opened the widest I had ever seen, and her smile stretched the furthest I had ever seen, she said "yes," then she went on to scream the loudest I had ever heard her scream.
Seem like a scene out of a movie? Maybe. But in the words of one of my favorite rap artists, "This ain't a movie dawg."
Often times, when I tell someone who is a good deal older than me that I'm getting married next year, they give me a look like I've offended them.
"But you're so young!" I always hear.
Okay, I'll give you that. I'm 22 now, and by the time my wedding rolls around I'll be 23. I'm not exactly sprouting gray hair, but I'm not a baby either. In my three short months of engagement, I've heard plenty of reason why I should put off getting married. Many of these reasons can also be looked at another way, so I've compiled a list of reasons why I'm not foolish for tying the knot in 2009.
1)Age - As previously mentioned, many people think my age is a big reason why I should put off marriage. This is definitely a valid point, but I like to look at it another way. Since we're both old enough to call ourselves adults, while still young enough to travel, try new things, and basically enjoy being young, what better time and way to do that than with the person you love?
I've never looked at marriage as "time to settle down." To me, more than anything it is a time to grow with another person. I like the idea of being a young energetic couple that wants to see the world together, better than being a middle-aged couple who sees marriage as giving up your freedom because it's the thing to do after you've had all the fun you can have. Which brings me to…
Seem like a scene out of a movie? Maybe. But in the words of one of my favorite rap artists, "This ain't a movie dawg."
Often times, when I tell someone who is a good deal older than me that I'm getting married next year, they give me a look like I've offended them.
"But you're so young!" I always hear.
Okay, I'll give you that. I'm 22 now, and by the time my wedding rolls around I'll be 23. I'm not exactly sprouting gray hair, but I'm not a baby either. In my three short months of engagement, I've heard plenty of reason why I should put off getting married. Many of these reasons can also be looked at another way, so I've compiled a list of reasons why I'm not foolish for tying the knot in 2009.
1)Age - As previously mentioned, many people think my age is a big reason why I should put off marriage. This is definitely a valid point, but I like to look at it another way. Since we're both old enough to call ourselves adults, while still young enough to travel, try new things, and basically enjoy being young, what better time and way to do that than with the person you love?
I've never looked at marriage as "time to settle down." To me, more than anything it is a time to grow with another person. I like the idea of being a young energetic couple that wants to see the world together, better than being a middle-aged couple who sees marriage as giving up your freedom because it's the thing to do after you've had all the fun you can have. Which brings me to…
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