For Richer or Poorer.

"And if I don't ever get married or have a baby, what? I get bubkes?"

Between the Cosmos and Manolos, Carrie Bradshaw injected her brand of sociological questions in Sex and the City. In season 6's "A Woman's Right to Shoes", she wonders why we are pressured to buy and give pre-registered gifts to people who make specific life choices, such as getting married or having children. But, as she points out, what if you don't want to do these things? Why don't you get, in a sense, "rewarded" just the same? It doesn't take any particular skill to get married, and it takes considerably less skill to bear offspring, so couldn't one argue that there's no plausible reason to honor this with material goods? Well, this one does. 

Let's put aside any joy or happiness you feel from a close friend participating in these activities. In fact, let's say you couldn't care less (I don't). Why then should you have to bear witness to these events, and reward them? Is it good behavior for someone to get married? Do they really deserve gifts? Maybe they do. Maybe it's just a way of showing your affection and approval, or your way of helping out the new couple although if they don't have enough money to support themselves, they probably just shouldn't get married). But that doesn't change the fact that the action may never be reciprocated if you never do the same thing. And it's not even about the money, it's about society's view on choices: certain ones are "good" and deserve attention and gifts, and certain ones are "bad" deserving no praise or prize. How backwards can the world still be?

Obviously this all is reiterated in that particular episode of Sex and the City, but I share the sentiments. and pass them along.