Marriage is Overrated

I just read an article over at thefrisky about women not wanting to get married. As I mentioned in a previous post, I personally have never really felt a desire to don a white dress and walk down the aisle myself. I know I could do something less traditional or whatever, but the idea of having a wedding and being married really has just never appealed to me. Like the author of the article, I have encountered surprise when I tell people (especially family members) that I don't want to get married. I have been told that I'll grow out of it or that I haven't met the right person, but the gist is that I'll definately change my mind. On the other hand, I had someone once ask me if I wanted to end up alone. I don't think it's a phase and I don't think it's something to grow out of, and that line of thinking really irritates me. It assumes I don't know myself or my goals. It also assumes that my own conscious decision isn't valid and that I just don't know any better. Any time anyone brings up any of the previous statements, I feel like I'm a little kid who has just been told "you'll understand when you're older." I also don't believe not wanting to get married means I don't want a long-term partner. Marriage to me does not even necessarily equate love. I believe that when people fall in love, they should be able to find a relationship that works for them, but their options should certainly not be limited to marriage. To be honest, I don't know what form any of my future relationships will take. If it was really important to my partner, I would even concider getting married. But for me, marriage isn't important, and, despite what our wedding-obsessed culture would have us believe, there is nothing wrong with that.