51% of Women Are Now Living Without Spouse

New article in the NYT on the latest census report. Basically, there are more single women than men, there are more married men than married women. Women continue to live longer than men. Men go into second marriages faster than women. Interesting, no?

I was recently asked "why J and I were getting married?" And then we were asked whether we felt societal pressure to get married. This person also thought we were 19, so I think she thought we were rushing into a big thing at a really young age. I don't think I ever felt the need to get married, though I look at my parents now and I see how happy they are, and I do yearn for that type of connection with someone (and no, the connection did not have to mean marriage for me) . Fortunately for me, I found that something-something in J. And marriage to us is more of a celebration of the fact that we do love eachother and we are in committed to it for the long haul (and beyond...) Plus we can get all the tax benefits of course. I do know a lot of people in bad marriages though, and I would never ever want to get stuck in that situation. Divorces just mean a helluva lot more paper work, lawyer fees, plus all the emotional ulcers that normal long term breakups go through.. so I hope that I will never have to go through that.

Anyhow it's an interesting article if you get around to reading it. I think it makes a lot of sense.. and I'm glad there's been a change in the mentality that all women don't need to get married.