What Is Life?

            So what do I know about life? At my age, despite my age, I guess I don’t know any more than you do. Life is nothing but decisions. What you do, what you don’t do, who you do, who you don’t do… that’s pretty much it really. Experience will make you stronger. No one or nothing else will. No one has all the answers, hell no one has any answers. Opinions. Life is about interpretation and perception. Beliefs. How do you feel about something? That’s life. Life is emotion. Life is a path. There is no right or wrong, only choice. I would advise to never allow someone to dictate your life because their life will be different from your own. What else? I don’t know. I’m not wise. To answer this question is a bit hypocritical. I can’t tell you what life is. Life is discovery. I’m trying to avoid saying life is what you make it because I would like to believe you at least know that much. Also I hate sounding cliché. One thing I WILL say is to make sure that when you’re on your death bed, try to have as little regrets as possible. They’re a real bitch, trust me. It’s not something you’ll 100% avoid but do what you can to keep that number down.

            How old are you? Are you a child? If you are, listen closely because this will take some time to sink in. Your parents are possibly clueless. Not meant to be mean; they do want what’s best for you, hopefully. But sometimes that ‘want’ can interfere with your decisions, your path. Sometimes you have to make mistakes. Sometimes you fail. Failure is good. It’s nothing more than a life lesson. Your parents don’t want you to fail, which is understandable. They don’t want you to be sad and hurt, A crushed dream sucks but not as much as an ignored one. Go for them. Fail, and then you’ll succeed. Does that make sense? It will. Are you older than a child? Then you probably noticed I didn’t talk much about having people in your life; a very touchy and intricate subject. People can be helpful. Then can also suck. They are both necessary and unnecessary. Everyone is people, and I mean everyone. Friends, lovers, family, bosses, they all fall into one category. You are people to someone else and people do not have the answers. Does what I say make sense? I am people too and I don’t have the answers. I have my answers to my question. Apparently life is an assignment, similar to that of an English class. How good will you do? Beats me. Go find out. Determine your passing grade. YOU determine it. Don’t let people determine it for you. Remember them? Do you get it now? If you listen to me then you’re a fool, maybe even a bigger fool than I give you credit for. That’s what life is. Contradiction. "497"

3 Dreams

So last night I had 3 of the weirdest dreams I’ve probably ever had in my life in succession. I can’t remember specifics as it’s damn near impossible to remember details of dreams but I’m going to do my best to write them all down.

Dream #1

It starts off with me watching either a show or a movie starring myself as a middle aged woman with a little daughter, no more than 8 or 9. She (the daughter) has a male friend around the same age that I do not approve of and I do everything I can to break up their friendship. When everything fails, I send the girl off to live with her aunt (or another woman, I’m not really sure who she was) but surprisingly her friend follows her to the new house to continue their friendship by him sneaking up to her window where they meet in secret. This is where things get weird. During one of the meetings, a strange figure snatches the girl out of her room through said window. I now become the friend and am following this figure trying to save her. The whole thing has the vibe of an old 1970’s horror movie, so there is a certain level of fright in my system at this point. After following this figure through all kinds of alleyways and different areas (can’t remember them specifically), I’m led to this group of teenagers who all have this sort of sinister, menacing look on their faces, but more importantly the girl is nowhere to be seen. The teenagers don’t say a word but an image of the girl appears in thin air along with the words “this girl is going to die because her parents inappropriately touch her.” Now completely filled with fear I run back to the house where she was kidnapped from to make two very interesting discoveries. One, the girl was never kidnapped. When the figure snatched her out of the window, it quickly placed her on the roof of the house, and once I got back there I was able to rescue her. Remembering the threat that she was going to die,  I was filled with this ominous feeling wondering what exactly was going to happen to her. The second discovery was that the teenagers weren’t as menacing or as sinister as they would have me believe but they were behind the mysterious figure that snatched her. The truth of their identity was they were just trouble makers going around to different neighborhoods doing the same thing to different kids just to mess with people. Once they got a sense of how scared I (the friend) was, they were satisfied with their job and they all decided to go about their business. Me being the friend was still shaken up by all the events, but me being the spectator of this show/movie couldn’t help but conclude that this was really good television. End of the 1^st dream.

Dream #2

I’m now the father of the little girl that was “kidnapped” and the friend has inexplicably become her brother. After talking to her I find out that her being trapped on the roof of the house has severely traumatized her. Now hell bent on revenge, I make my way to the high school where these teens are. I don’t really know how I knew they’d all be in the gymnasium but I did, and I walked up to one of them and sprayed him in the face with some sort of chemical that burned his skin. The funny thing about this was there were other kids in the gym but they didn’t seem to pay me or his screams of agony any sort of attention… maybe because I did this near a delivery truck that was parked in the middle of the basketball court. As the kid was lying there screaming, I headed back towards an elevator very nonchalantly. As I’m walking the other kids within that same trouble making group try to stop me with no luck at all. I literally brush them all off with ease as I make my way to a female member of that group and spray her in the face as well. I leave the school and find myself transported to a car heading towards their “headquarters” with a detective driving. I’m sure there were some details before that but I can’t really remember them. The only thing I do remember about that car ride was being consumed with this sense of rage. Once we get there I ring the bell and one of the teens answers. We engage in some sort of banter before I let her know that I’ve bought a detective there to arrest everybody in the house but before she could be hauled off I let her know that the reason why I was able to find their headquarters was because one of the members of the group betrayed them to help me (which may or may not have been true), and I told her this because I wanted to see the look of anger on all their faces. What makes this dream weird was the fact that this group wound up being a part of a much larger group of people that caused trouble, which included John Travolta and John Leguizamo, that the cops had been looking for for a long time. End of the 2^nd dream.

Dream #3

I’m now the arresting detective that bought in all those teens, and somehow become a protector of the family that went through the ordeal in the 1^st dream. All the kids involved are sentenced to exactly 50 years in jail, but for the sake of getting full closure from the ordeal, I (mind you I’m the detective now) am in charge of moving the family out of state so they can start over, out of fear that someone may try to seek revenge on them. Unfortunately before all that can take place, a mysterious woman starts running ad campaigns to try to get the teens out of jail. It is unclear whether she is another cop, a lawyer or somebody different all together. Scared that she may actually succeed in getting them all released, I set out to do my own investigation to try to find out who the hell this person is. My search leads me to a strip club which she happened to be closely tied to. After asking around for information on this woman, I was attacked by a gang of her personal guards and thrown out. Then out of nowhere she appeared before me and explained to me our history (to which I can’t remember… sorry), which lead to a massive shootout between us. Her bodyguards opted not only to stay out of it but didn’t run for cover or anything. They, including nearby pedestrians, all went about their business as me and this woman tried very desperately to kill each other. The shootout lasted for about two minutes, including me shooting her at point blank range with a 12 gauge shotgun multiple times, yet nobody was hit. End of the 3^rd dream.

I can’t really remember anything after that. That’s when I woke up with the biggest ‘wtf’ in my head. "1189"

The Day I Tried To Live

“I should have just stayed in bed.”

I have never before or since experienced the level of soul shattering defeat as I did that day. As the events of my life flash before my eyes it is impossible not to fixate on the day I chose to stand up against my own captivity. Sentenced by Fate to a world of reclusion and despondence, I willfully carried out my sentence silently without struggle. Days became weeks which soon turned into months. It wasn’t long before I found the years bleeding into one another, and as each second whittled away I could feel my mind growing weaker and my sanity wearing thin. But one day I gathered the strength needed to rise and break free from the world Fate had enslaved me to. “My judgment is absolute and shall not be challenged by the likes of you” Fate said to me. “I have destined you to remain here and bear the weight of eternal melancholy.” “Forget it” I responded back. No longer shall I remain your prisoner, trapped here in this mockery of an existence. I have endured this place longer than my memory will allow me to remember, so long that this isolation is all I know. So mark my words Fate. Today is the day I break free from your hold on me, and off the merits of this new found strength I shall make my place in a new world of acceptance and fulfilled aspirations.” I will never forget the events of that day.

The day I tried to live was the day I left the world crippled and deafened from the screams of the broken populace. I came into that new world oblivious to its rules and as a result shattered the foundation for its citizens. Looking back now I can’t help but feel nothing but shame for the decisions I made. Like a fool I unknowingly helped to solidify the control of the powerful and merciless while I left the world in ruin, as if stealing from the poor to give to the rich. The things I did shall remain a mystery, but as a result everyone fell victim to new levels of suffering. Blood spilled from those victimized by my actions, and the streets were littered with the bodies of those who simply had no strength to persevere. The foundations of their life were slowly coming undone and their rage filled eyes were beginning to turn towards me. The masses were desperately seeking retribution and would hope to find it in my death. With no other choice I turned to the powerful begging for an act of mercy on the helpless, on those I was responsible for crippling. But my cries would fall on deaf ears and I was forced to live with the consequences of my foolishness. In an act of cowardess I fled, leaving everybody victimized to wallow in the blood and mud with all the other pigs.

The day I tried to live was the day I slit my wrist and neck to quench the thirst of the beasts. Overwhelmed with confusion by the complexity of this unfamiliar territory, I desperately sought answers to questions I did not even know existed. So I resorted to my naivety and placed my faith into the beasts taking shape in human form, begging for the strength needed to strive in that new world. It was my own determination to succeed that caused me to blindly assume I would have the knowledge needed to triumph over all adversity, to conquer any and all advisories that would cross my path. But I was the one that was left conquered, betrayed by those which I placed all my faith into. How do you fight an enemy that poses as someone you trust? Day after day I would turn to the beasts for the necessary strength to tackle the most difficult situations and all that time I needed them was just the time they needed to bleed me dry and suck the very life from my body. It wasn’t long before I realized I was nothing more than a meal for the carnivorous beasts. But by then it was to late and they would disappear as just quickly as they came into my life. With nothing left but disgrace and bone I used the last ounce of willpower in my body and reluctantly made my way back to Fate on broken hands and wounded knees.


So here I sit now, trapped once again in this prison I was so determined to escape from, confined to this garden of a deafening mute sound and lingering thoughts. Here I sit here now, a living example of what happens when you try to challenge the hand of Fate, its words forever echoing in my head today; “there are things beyond your comprehension and reasons why I need you here; reasons why you must never leave this place.” What are these reasons? How much longer can I endure this? What happens if I can’t? Questions I will spend an eternity asking, questions I will spend an eternity not knowing. What I do know is I will never again challenge the law of Fate as I remain here haunted by the events of my past. No I will never forget when I chose to defy Fate. That day I awoke the same as any other day, but I should have just stayed in bed. "909"

Me vs. Monogamy

“It has rarely been an honored in practice; soon, it will vanish even as an ideal.”
It’s been a long drawn out and miserable day at work on a Tuesday night. You’re tired and stressed and have three more days of more tedious bullshit to look forward to at work. Before making your way home you stop off for a nice relaxing beer at your local bar and prepare to unwind all the mental crap you’ve endured during the day. As you take your first sip and let in that refreshing chill into your body, you look up and see the perfect specimen of a human being. Everything you’ve ever envisioned yourself to be with. You make eye contact… just for a second, but it’s all that’s needed for you to be immobilized with that sort-of excitement and fear. Fantasies instantly start to run wild. Finally you’ve found someone you could truly lose yourself in. All of a sudden without explanation the two of you find yourselves engaged in conversation. “Wow how did this happen” you ask yourself in your head. The two of you engage in light but apparent flirtatious banter. And then you hear those words that you’ve been secretly hoping to hear since you first made eye contact. “Can I get your number? I’d love to hang out with you sometime.” Your heart is racing, your insides are melting, and your hormones are flowing. You want to scream “just take me now.” But reality kicks in and your only response is “I can’t, I’m in a relationship.”

Yes I know that fantasy is a little cliché (or maybe a lot cliché), but I only used it to prove a point. How many of you would have responded that way if in fact you were in a relationship? For some of us, maybe even most, it sucks to have to give up something you feel is right for you, especially when it comes to someone you’re sexually attracted to. There are some who can’t do it, or those who just choose not to. It’s a well known fact that infidelity exists and not just limited to being a man or woman thing. Researchers have estimated that 44% of marriages have been subjected to infidelity, and an average of 71% of people would have an affair if they knew for sure they would not get caught. And if those stats don’t catch your attention, how about this one? AshleyMadison.com is a site designed to provide discretion for men and women in committed relationships to have affairs. It has close to 11 million members. I in no way advocate cheating but only acknowledge that it is more frequent then you might want to believe.

But this isn’t really about people who are unfaithful; it’s about questioning the lifestyle of monogamy. So why talk about cheaters? These people already make a mockery of the lifestyle and have been doing so for a very long time. Due to the frequency in infidelity throughout the country, French author Jacques Attali made this statement years ago, “monogamy has rarely been honored in practice; soon, it will vanish even as an ideal.” Like I said earlier, there are people out there who just can’t or won’t say no to sexual temptation but here’s my question, why should we really have to? We as Americans are selfish by design. When we meet that person for which we’ve decided to spend the rest our life with, they are subconsciously given the task of satisfying all of our needs, including but not limited to emotional and financial stability and sexual satisfaction, because deep down that is what we want and expect of our partner. During the course of a long term relationship we tend to be over demanding of our partner which may cause them to stray because of unneeded pressure, or may even cause you to stray when you aren’t getting everything you want. The truth is it is very difficult to satisfy ALL the needs of another person ALL the time. There are those who would go as far as to say that it’s unrealistic. For some I would agree but more realistically I will say that I think it’s more of an unnecessary burden we give ourselves and our partners.

People tend to think that because I’m against living a monogamous lifestyle, then I must be a male whore. That isn’t true in the least bit although I honestly see nothing wrong with that, just as long as you stay clean and don’t sleep around behind someone else’s back. I may not want to depend entirely on one person for all my needs but that doesn’t necessarily mean I want to fuck everything with a vagina. I not only have standards like anybody else and hold on very tightly to them, but I also have no desire to want to deal with a crap ton of women at one time. The ideal of monogamy relates a lot to what I discussed in my marriage piece. Everyone wants to find that perfect someone to call husband or wife to live out their days basking in their love, but allow me to ask this. Why do we assume that we only have a certain kind of love for one person? Even more so, being in a relationship does not and will not stop you or your partner from being attracted to other people. So in a world with a population of over 6.5 billion people I will never understand the desire people have to limit themselves to just enjoying the benefits of one person. "938"

Me vs. The Internet

"I’d like to welcome you to the new age, an age where the world is at the beckon call of your fingertips."
Welcome to the internet age. I realize that yes I’m only a few years late writing about this but I was feeling nostalgic one day about how excited I used to get as a kid to go to the music store whenever an album from a band I liked came out, and how because of the internet I’ll probably never get to re-live that sort of excitement (also due in part to the fact that new music is just god-awful… Lady Gaga or Katy fucking Perry anyone?). It then got me thinking about how other aspects of my life and everybody else’s has changed because of it and well, that’s my excuse for writing about it now. This isn’t going to be so much of an ‘one side or another’ piece like my monogamy and marriage blogs, but just more of anobservation of this new internet age we live in.

I remember having a conversation with some friends a while back saying that because of the internet, unless you just want some fresh air there is absolutely no reason to ever leave your house other than to go to work. If you think about it, there are sites out there that can supply you with anything you need or want just as long as you have a credit or debit card. Places like bestbuy.com or circuitcity.com (I couldn’t believe they still exist either) can be your stop for televisions, computers, and other electronic devices including cameras and portable music players. Amazon.com sells everything from books to jewelry to automotive parts, although for the life of me I can’t figure out why anyone would want to buy car parts online, as well as the aforementioned electronic devices. Not only do all three sites as well as numerous others sell recreational items like movies, music CD’s, video/computer games and accessories, but with sites like Netflix iTunes and Steam, you can stream movies movies and games straight to your computer or purchase albums and video games and download them right to your computers’ hard drive. Do you need new clothes? Visit gap.com, forever21.com or Abercrombie.com, three places you couldn’t pay me money to shop at, or even hottopic.com for more novelty clothing. You can perform numerous banking tasks and even pay utility bills at your banks’ website. You can even buy groceries or even prescription medication… all over the internet. And now with smartphones and tablet computing growing more and more popular with time, all these options and more are readily available to you wherever you go. By the way if by some miracle of chance you can’t find a site that sells what you’re looking for, there’s always ebay.com.

It’s not only shopping that has been affected by the introduction of the internet. I remember the good ol’ days when if you liked someone, you would ask for their phone number. Then you would actually talk to one another over the phone using your voices to become better acquainted, and then after some time passed you would actually go out and get to know each other even more. But since I’m apparently an old fart (at 30 btw), that seems to all be ancient history now. Currently there are close to 100 million members on the five most popular dating sites in America alone but there are literally hundreds of these sites on the internet. As of 2010 the online dating industry was worth $4 billion worldwide and is continues to grow . But looking for romance isn’t the only thing directly affected by the net, even the way we communicate with one another has now been ‘upgraded.’ We now live during a time where facebook is dominating the social networking medium with now over 750 million users and on average people spend over 700 billion minutes per month on the site. This along with texting, which is basically the same concept as email but for phones, is essentially all that is required for staying in touch with people. I just read a story (a true story mind you) about a woman that lived out all the stages of a relationship she had with a guy via text messaging including flirtatious banter to confusion to bitterness at the sight of his name. I’ve recently met so two girls that both want to communicate with me through texting only and I’m sure they won’t be the last. I recently joined facebook a few months ago and I find it interesting how easily accessible I am to all my friends at any given time and vice-versa. Think about it, through your phone you have the opportunity to communicate with everyone on your friends list whenever you want through messaging in facebook. When I want to say something to a friend, I sometimes can’t decide whether to text them or send it through facebook, since they’ll get it and respond through their phone anyway. Yet I rarely ever callanyone anymore.

There’s no question that the introduction and popularity of the internet has made the tasks of our lives much easier, but what kind of price are we paying for this convenience? Did you know that the actions you make on the internet are being monitored and recorded? Let me introduce you to what’s known as data mining. Data mining is the act of having your personal data researched and stored for literally anyoneto purchase. People looking to purchase your data can include anyone from companies trying to decide who to advertise their product to, to employers looking to spy on the people they have working for them. The information gathered from individuals includes but is not limited to credit card purchases, income levels, pictures of your home or even the status updates you put on facebook. There are dozens of sites out there like spokeo.com, which has profiles of EVERYONE that uses the internet, detailing all the information I’ve listed above. And while you may want to think having your private information being sold off to random companies is unbelievable or wrong, the scary fact is it’s all completely legal. Data mining is a multi-billion dollar industry. So how exactly is our information being obtained? Everything from the apps we use on our phones to the websites we visit is used to gather data on us.

So let me say it again folks, welcome to the internet age. There is no denying that the internet has completely changed the way we as a society live our lives, and seeing as how I was one of the first people on America Online way back in 1995 I’ll always find it a little intriguing how the internet has blown up in popularity throughout the years. At the end of 2000 there were an estimated 360 million people on the internet. As of April 2011 that number has grown to over 2 billion, which is roughly 30% of the worlds’ population. Of course like everything else it has its downside. Because of how fast information is shared, it’s often stated that once something makes its way onto the net it’s there to stay permanently for anyone to witness, which is often the case with embarrassing pictures and videos. But one thing I must say that I can really appreciate about the net is that anybody with a few working brain cells and a couple of fingers now has the opportunity to be heard and seen...myself included. Bands and musicians no longer have to grind their way to popularity when they now can make their music and post it on popular sites like youtube. More video is uploaded to this site in one month than the three major US networks created in 60 years, resulting in nearly 8 years of content uploaded every day. Even writers now have the luxury of joining blog sites and posting their works for all to read, as there are currently millions and millions of members throughout different blog sites on the net. The bottom line is this; the internet is here to stay and will only evolve and grow more popular in the future. The question is whatexactly will it evolve to, what how much more will it change the world? "1394"

I Remember

"The farthest star in the sky burns the brightest."
I'll always remember the first day I met you. You came into my life so unexpectedly and instantly left me in a sea of bumbling thoughts and stuttering words. We were introduced so casually yet it took all my courage and brainpower just to form words in my mouth. "Say something Andre! Goddamn
it just say SOMETHING!" These were the only words swimming in my head as I desperately tried not to make myself look like a total fool in front of you. We only spoke for a few minutes that day but that was all it took. Your eyes, your smile, your charm... they were so damned magnetic I was convinced that no matter the circumstance you and I would grow old together.

I'll always remember how you mercilessly invaded my thoughts. I would sit back and allow my fantasies of you; the adventurous, the sexual, the endless romance, to run wild with no limitations. Images of you would accompany me in bed at night and be there to greet me as I woke up in the morning, along with the same questions I repeatedly asked myself every time you popped in my head. "Who exactly is this woman? How has she taken me over like this? Why her?
What is it about her?" I never knew these kinds of feelings could exist in something like me, but I knew you and I would meet again in the future and I eagerly anticipated that encounter because it was then that you were to going to know exactly how I felt about you.

I'll always remember that one chance I had to make my way into your world and share with you the darkest secrets of my own world. It's probably what I remember most when I think about you today. I approached that night with great hope and excitement knowing that I would not only get to see you again but knowing that this may very well be the start of an intense and glorious relationship between us, the type of relationship that would shake the foundations of life itself. Little did I realize that it would become the night of one of the biggest regrets in my life. I often ask myself why I chose to
keep my words to myself at the last minute. Looking back I guess there were a number of meager reasons but they can all be narrowed down to one thing. Despite all the feelings I had for you, I knew I would never be able to give you all the things I wanted to give you. The romantic connection, the
adventurous experiences, even the mind blowing sex I saw us having... I knew there would be someone out there that could give you the life you deserved and at the expense of my own fantasies, I was willing to make sure you had that opportunity.

They say the farthest star in the sky burns the brightest and in regards to you, I truly understand what it means now. You'll always be the representation of my wildest dreams and fantasies that will forever be impossibly out-of-reach. And despite everything I wish I could tell you, if there is one message that I must relay to you more than anything else it would be “thank you”. Thank you for being that huge beacon of light in a time when darkness was the only thing I knew, for being everything I never knew I wanted, and for giving me something new to strive for. You may have only been a passing face but you’ve undoubtedly made one of the most lasting impressions out of anybody I’ve met. By now you've moved on and in the years we’ve spent apart I’m sure you’ve forgotten all about me, but I'll remember you. I'll always remember you.
"645"

Me vs. Marriage

 “…and the prince came to rescue the girl and they lived happily ever after.”
Ah the fairy tale. Those lovable stories we all read as children about being rescued and living life happily ever after. Fairy tales, the main source of fantasy that makes us want to find that perfect someone (more on that in another article) and live out the rest of our days in eternal bliss running
in beaches in slow motion holding each others’ hands and all that other crap. So we set out and hope to find that one person to someday call husband or wife. Now let’s ask this question, can you remember the time when marriage was about basking in the love two people shared with one another? I can’t either, because nowadays the whole institution of marriage has nothing more than a joke. Between those who treat it as such and those who have their own hidden agenda as to why they get married in the first place, the notion of having to be married to someone has become a bit foolish in my eyes. Lives have been crippled by messy divorces and victims of spousal infidelity and loveless prison-like homes have driven people to do unspeakable things. So why is there such a need for people to take this big of a chance? What are they trying to prove and who exactly are they trying to prove it to?

Marriage can be defined as a traditional union of love between two people. I believe the need people have to blindly follow social traditions causes them to believe that marriage is the only logical path to take in life, however I have news for you boys and girls. This is 2011 and the ‘traditional' way of life is slowing becoming as extinct as the dinosaur. Speaking of which, can you define the word tradition?If you can’t I’ll help you out. A tradition is a something passed down through generations that’s maintained in the present with origins in the past. In the sense of traditional marriage, it was originally done mainly to satisfy the wishes of the parents and grandparents. People rarely had a choice in who they married, as it was only done to align families for better financial possibilities and to protect the land they owned. However if history has shown us anything it’s that tradition does not need to be followed and marriage is no exception to this.

"You have no idea what you’re talking about Andre. Getting married is all about finding and sharing mutual love with your partner.” Well I’m glad you said that, because continuing the argument of tradition and history, as stated before marriage was never really about love. Romantic love was only shared between regular couples (people not married). Even in many societies today (yes today folks), there is little to no romantic love between those who are married. It wasn’t until recent (by recent I mean maybe 200-300 years ago) that people tacked on the notion that marriages are all about love which brings me back to the fairy tale mentality most people have associated with it. I guess it’s unfortunate for me that I believe in fairy tales about as much as I believe in Santa clause and the Easter bunny… and care for them even less.

I do have to be honest about something. My pessimism consumes me when it comes to trusting other people so naturally I’m going to be a little biased against giving half of my shit to someone else, but can you really call me crazy for thinking this way? As I stated earlier part of my whole problem with marriage is the fact that there are so many people out there that treat it like a big joke. People get married to obtain citizenship or even to get better health insurance. And personally speaking now between cheaters, controlling women and potentially malicious and debt inducing divorces should it ever get to that level, I just don’t see the point to any of it. Besides there isn’t really anything for me to gain by allowing the government to oversee my relationship other than unnecessary stress. And even if my own convictions weren’t enough to question the necessity of marital tradition, every one of my friends who has ever been married rallies against it by either claiming to never get married again or by trying to convince me not to ever make the mistake of getting married (not that I need convincing). Now don’t get me wrong I love women. I love talking and hanging out with them and all that good stuff and that whole having sex with them isn’t bad either, but marriage? Thanks for the offer but I’ll gracefully decline.

Ah yes, the fairy tale. Those lovable stories we all read as children about being rescued and living life happily ever after, but here’s something else to consider about the fairy tale. The term also means far-fetched story or a story with unbelievable elements. At the end of the day it all comes down to one thing and it's social really. The "nuclear family" is nothing more than an ideal created years ago to dictate how people should live their lives. Now before I get any kind of shit for this (though
I still welcome it), I do want it to be known that I don’t entirely see it as me vs. marriage. I write this mainly as a wake-up call to those who obsess over the notion that happiness can only be obtained through married life. It isn’t at all necessary and like everything else it isn’t for everybody. Today there are over 7 million couples that co-habit in the US. And while it is true that divorce rate has been on a slow but steady decline since the 80’s, this may or may not be due to the fact that marriage rate has also been on a slow but steady decline since the 80’s, according to this years’ government census. "1020"