OK, I’m 35 years old, still single, and apparently a successful Persian man. Yet to my mother’s eyes, I have been a disappointment because I am still single. All of my cousins have been waiting for me to get married so that they can get their lives moving in the right direction. Maybe, they are hoping that I will continue to stay single in order to experience life as it should be. And, oh by the way, to avoid a blind date like I had to endure last night with a Persian girl!
WHY DO ALL ME GIRLS HAVE TO GET MARRIED BEFORE 30?
I remember when my first-grade friends and I played Pretty Pretty Princess, had luxurious tea parties, and fantasized about our wedding days. Little has changed, even though most of my friends and I are now 23. We still act like royalty on Rodeo, have tea parties at our local shrine (Starbucks), and scour our monthly bridal magazines for the perfect wedding gown.
As you may surmise, I am now competing in a relentless race with my female adversaries to find Mr. Right and begin the breeding process before my time is “up.” In the Middle Eastern (ME) culture, a girl’s time is typically defined as being “up” when she is 30 years old and still not married. Consequently, this is also an indication of her being an “old maid.” While this mentality may seem slightly prehistoric, the pressure for women to marry early is still embedded in the lives of ME girls, and some logic remains in this tradition.
By now COEXISTENCE Digital, you (or “your friends”) have undoubtedly figured out that the correct answer to this riddle is: “Who’s asking?” Chances are, you’ve flawlessly executed countless equally-convincing (and equally- contradictory) responses to this age-old question, annoyingly posed to you now by your shameless Eastern Orthodox in-laws or local imam, the hot girl you met at last week’s concert, the FOBs new to town, or that stuffy college nemesis incessantly trying to prove that you’re an oppressed, closed-minded Middle Easterner. But why such mixed responses for such a personal decision? And what is the right decision these days? Is preserving your ‘honor’ linked to preserving your culture, and do you have a right to keep your sexual activity (or lack thereof) private from prying eyes--even those of the family? Read on and get a clue on what’s best for you by finding out who’s doing what, why, and how in today’s ME community
Q:I am from Israel and I have a Palestinian boyfriend, but both our families are against our marriage. Is it right for us to keep pursuing marriage or should we abandon our love to satisfy our parents?
A: If you pursue it and your parents forbid it, they will disown you, or you pursue it and they eventually get over it. Another option, don't pursue it and move on. Discuss converting religions. It can break the barrier between your parents and him. My suggestion to you is to sit down and have a conversation with your parents. Try to get both families together for dinner in public. Try to get your points across. Best of luck!
OK, I’m 35 years old, still single, and apparently a successful Persian man. Yet to my mother’s eyes, I have been a disappointment because I am still single. All of my cousins have been waiting for me to get married so that they can get their lives moving in the right direction. Maybe, they are hoping that I will continue to stay single in order to experience life as it should be. And, oh by the way, to avoid a blind date like I had to endure last night with a Persian girl!
One of the special bonds that men and women can share is a union through marriage. Aside from the legal benefits and tax breaks, marriage displays the commitment and devotion that two people have for one another. However, as the years are progressing, marriage rates are dropping, and divorce rates are rising. Why is this happening? Do people just not love each other like they used to? Or is something else working behind the scenes?