My Best Friend is Married and I've Never Had a Pet
That's right, my best friend just got married three days ago. She's 19 and I turned 20 a little over a month ago. We've known each other for 11 years and her wedding day came a little earlier than I'd expected it to.
My friend and I have always known we were very different. She was raised in a traditional Mormon family and I grew up with zero religious background. No, she's not one of those weirdo Fundamentalist Mormons you see on Sister Wives or some shit like that. She's just a devout member of the Mormon church with those missionaries that dress in white button-down shirts, black slacks, and black ties and ride around on bikes. Her religion encourages young marriages, so it was a never a shocker that she always said she wanted to be married before 22. And her dream came true.
I, on the other hand, am terrified of the prospect of marriage at this age. I'm freshly 20, a sophomore in college, sort of living on my own across the country, and have no clue who I am or where I'm headed. I have yet to figure myself out and what I want to do with my life post-college that marriage, let alone dating, is at the rock bottom of my list. The only thing I know for sure is that I want to live in a shoebox-size apartment in a borough of New York City and hopefully hold a job that will pay my $1,500 monthly rent. I need a plan; in order to even think of marriage, I want to be employed, living on my own, and self-sufficient. I need to get my shit together before I ever think of finding someone to put up with me.
I think the strangest part about my friend's wedding is that she met her husband only back in April. They were engaged in September and had a speedy wedding in December. It baffles me that people can know if a person is "the one" in a few short months. Of course, this is another typical Mormon practice. For some people, it works. I could never imagine not dating someone for at least two years before considering marriage. But my friend is happy and she found her Prince Charming, so that's all that matters, I guess.
I'm not against marriage; I'm all for getting married. Like many girls, I want my dream wedding and I have part of it planned out. I want an outdoor wedding in the fall. I want a vintage high-low wedding dress and white oxford ankle boots. But it won't happen for another five years at least and that's okay with me.















