If you're not married, you're single... (woman, love, engagement, family)

[vicket]

I don't think the "terms" he was using are really that important, but the stuff about rushing into relationships made a lot of sense to me.

[Tia 914]

Originally Posted by sierraAZ

Funny thing is many forms do differentiate among "single," "divorced," and widowed.

sorry, my mistake, I should've been clearer with what I meant, & you're accurate with what you said...
what I meant was when people say if they're dating somebody they're not single

[TKramar]

Did I say I was "single" again?

That's the way I think of myself...I'm never really sure how to describe my status. My wife disappeared the day after Thanksgiving, 2001. I didn't see her again until March (the following year), and a few days later, she was gone again. Haven't seen her since. I don't have the kind of resources to go looking for her every time she takes off. Sometimes I describe myself as separated, sometimes I say I'm married, and sometimes I say I'm single.

I definitely don't FEEL married to her...I don't know where she is, and we've had no contact for years.

[Thursday007]

Personally, I think he makes a valid point.

[Thursday007]

Originally Posted by Chowhound

I've noticed this thread hasn't gotten many hits.

That may be due in part that the video is almost 10 minutes long and the many in the general public have a sort attention span so they skip over it.

[funymann]

Originally Posted by Thursday007

That may be due in part that the video is almost 10 minutes long and the many in the general public have a sort attention span so they skip over it.

What?

There was a video?

[Professor Griff]

I'll bite. I watched the first 30 seconds of the video and turned it off. Complete BS. "What is that thing before marriage?" 'It's called engagement; if he hasn't put a ring on you, you're single and it's not going to work.' So, basically there's nothing that matters before being engaged or married? Nothing of relevance that would attest to a person's potential as a long-term partner well before that stage is reached? So, I should just approach the next random woman I meet and pop a ring on her finger. Skip everything else, it's either engagement, marriage, or nothing!...

Marriage begins in the heart. It's things like this video that put religious and social pressure on couples to marry, yet the marriage only goes as far as the marriage license and tax forms and applications. There are couples who aren't married, who love and care for each other more than many of their married counterparts. Of course, in the eyes of Uncle Sam, they don't count. As per the Bible (which I also will not count as the definitive word on marriage), they're not fit. So we condemn them and praise those who are unhappily married yet under too much pressure not to divorce. Or, on the other hand, we praise them for at least "giving marriage a try."

That relationship, that "thing" in between the initial attraction and the marriage? It matters. Maybe not for those who practice arranged marriages, but for me and many people I know, it matters. So yeah, I wholeheartedly disagree with this YouTube character.

[moonshadow]

Originally Posted by Professor Griff

I'll bite. I watched the first 30 seconds of the video and turned it off. Complete BS. "What is that thing before marriage?" 'It's called engagement; if he hasn't put a ring on you, you're single and it's not going to work.' So, basically there's nothing that matters before being engaged or married? Nothing of relevance that would attest to a person's potential as a long-term partner well before that stage is reached? So, I should just approach the next random woman I meet and pop a ring on her finger. Skip everything else, it's either engagement, marriage, or nothing!...

Marriage begins in the heart. It's things like this video that put religious and social pressure on couples to marry, yet the marriage only goes as far as the marriage license and tax forms and applications. There are couples who aren't married, who love and care for each other more than many of their married counterparts. Of course, in the eyes of Uncle Sam, they don't count. As per the Bible (which I also will not count as the definitive word on marriage), they're not fit. So we condemn them and praise those who are unhappily married yet under too much pressure not to divorce. Or, on the other hand, we praise them for at least "giving marriage a try."

That relationship, that "thing" in between the initial attraction and the marriage? It matters. Maybe not for those who practice arranged marriages, but for me and many people I know, it matters. So yeah, I wholeheartedly disagree with this YouTube character.

You should post more often.

[Jdawg8181]

Originally Posted by Tia 914

"single" means "not married." it's not a reflection on whether one is attached, involved, "in a relationship," etc. etc.

excuse me, but I'm fed-up with the trend of changing the meaning of words which have meant one thing since they were invented, to suit personal choice

well for tax purposes, if you're in a relationship, ur still single.

[Thursday007]

Originally Posted by Professor Griff

I'll bite. I watched the first 30 seconds of the video and turned it off. Complete BS. "What is that thing before marriage?" 'It's called engagement; if he hasn't put a ring on you, you're single and it's not going to work.' So, basically there's nothing that matters before being engaged or married? Nothing of relevance that would attest to a person's potential as a long-term partner well before that stage is reached? So, I should just approach the next random woman I meet and pop a ring on her finger. Skip everything else, it's either engagement, marriage, or nothing!...

Marriage begins in the heart. It's things like this video that put religious and social pressure on couples to marry, yet the marriage only goes as far as the marriage license and tax forms and applications. There are couples who aren't married, who love and care for each other more than many of their married counterparts. Of course, in the eyes of Uncle Sam, they don't count. As per the Bible (which I also will not count as the definitive word on marriage), they're not fit. So we condemn them and praise those who are unhappily married yet under too much pressure not to divorce. Or, on the other hand, we praise them for at least "giving marriage a try."

That relationship, that "thing" in between the initial attraction and the marriage? It matters. Maybe not for those who practice arranged marriages, but for me and many people I know, it matters. So yeah, I wholeheartedly disagree with this YouTube character.

I didn't perceive it as it doesn't matter as stages of courtship, but rather in the absolute literal defnition of being 'single' or being 'married' - he is being explicitly literal in his point, Playing house is fine but literally you are still single.