Since childhood, we have been taught that true happiness is only possible in marriage, with a wife and children. Relatives and friends constantly remind me that it’s time to start a family. But I’m already 38, and I have no desire to complicate my life.
My perspective on this matter is based on personal experience. Once, when I was 20, I decided to get married. At the time, I thought it was the love of my life. Emily and I quickly got married without asking for our parents’ approval. We started living together, but after just three months, I realized I had made a mistake. Emily constantly pressured me—she wanted me to earn more, rent a better apartment, and she didn’t like my friends.
Those three months felt like a real nightmare. In the end, I couldn’t take it anymore and started an affair at work. When my wife found out, we got divorced.
After the divorce, I decided to focus on my career, started earning well, and enjoyed life. Occasionally, I met interesting women who wanted to get married, but looking at my married friends, I kept realizing: marriage changes people, turning them into dull individuals trapped in routine and childcare.
One of my friends tried to convince me otherwise:
— But who will be with you in old age? What if you get sick? Who will help you?
— Look around, I replied. — Many elderly people have children, but that doesn’t stop them from feeling lonely. You can still end up alone, but at least you’ll have lived a full and exciting life.
If I ever decide to marry, it will probably be no earlier than 50. I would choose a young girl from the countryside—she would be a good homemaker, wouldn’t argue, and would have a child. The most important thing is that she respects me and doesn’t demand constant attention.
What do you think about this? Do you have any arguments in favor of marriage?
