Bungee Jumping and Marriage
Let’s say you wanted to go bungee jumping. Just looks like it’d be a lot of fun and something you always thought you’d do someday. But you’ve started hearing people say bad things about bungee jumping. Some of them are rich and famous people. They’re saying things like, “I don’t believe in bungee jumping. I don’t see the purpose of it.” It’s got you thinking, because they are rich and famous, so they should know.
Then it seemed like every other day when you’d turn on the TV you’d hear a story about somebody that went bungee jumping and it didn’t go well. Sometimes it’s just that it wasn’t as much fun as they thought it be. In fact, it was a big disappointment and they wish they hadn’t spent the money or wasted their time.
Others times, it was more serious. People were getting hurt, hurt badly. People had life altering injuries and permanent disabilities. And then you kept hearing everybody say that half the time people who bungee jump don’t survive the fall. You see an interview with a guy who straps people in to bungee jump. He says he always tells people to say their prayers because there’s a 50% chance that if you go through with this, you won’t survive the fall – you’ll die. Question. Do you still want to go bungee jumping?
Now, think about this. Did you know that the overwhelming majority of young people want to have a happy marriage. Recent research shows that 82% of girls and 70% of the guys say that a good marriage is extremely important to them. At the same time, the number of marriages is down and cohabitation continues to climb. Why do you think that is? Why the gap between what young people say they want – a happy marriage – and what they think they can achieve?
For the same reason you don’t want to go bungee jumping – if all you hear is negative news. I call it the news and the views. Listen to the news. Is it any surprise that people would become jaded about marriage by all the media stories of marriages that have crumbled?
The news is filled with sensational stories of lying, cheating and abuse. A former presidential candidate cheating on his cancer-stricken wife. A New York governor with a high-priced call girl. A model’s husband’s affair with their teenage babysitter. A Yankee slugger accused of frequent philandering. A role-model golfer caught in his sexual addiction. And then the views. Many well known celebrity names are coming out and saying that they don’t believe in marriage anymore. Some are asking, what good is marriage?
The truth is, that there is a lot of good about marriage. Yes, marriages do have problems from time to time. Every human relationship does and we it should be expected in the most intimate of relationships.
When there are marriage problems, or even pre-wedding jitters, it does not mean that all things are lost. There is much help available today for even what seems to be a hopeless marriage. For those who may think they can’t afford counseling help, there are now reasonably priced online marriage counseling resources.
