Must couples get married? Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart engaged after seven years

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  Posted by Nose Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:41am PDT

  Why even get engaged if there's no intention of getting married? The idea of a long engagement seems like an excuse for the cold-footed man to avoid going down the aisle with his bride. I believe there should be some sort of time limit......an AGREED upon time limit between the couple, one or 2 yrs. for an engagement, no longer. But if the woman has no problem with waiting for her Big Day, then whatever. I'm always amazed when a man is brave enough to take that step as most men in my experience have commitment issues and phobias. Me.......I'd walk away if I didn't get a proposal after 5 or 6 yrs and would expect a wedding to follow that proposal within a year and a half after. Who needs to waste time waiting around for something that may not happen anyway? I'm sort of in that situation now. I'm ready to check out of the relationship. But more so because the boyfriend is insane and treats me like crap when he's having an episode.

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  Posted by mommaofsun Mon Mar 23, 2009 7:18am PDT

  I don't feel anyone "should" get married. Whether it's 7 years or 17 yrs, the time is right when the time is right. I was with my now hubby, then beau for 6 1/2 yes before we got married. We got married for many reasons, but more importantly because we felt like "why wait anymore".

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  Posted by pwsgirl Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:26am PDT

  This guy is old enough to be her father! Usually, I'm not mindful of age differences, but 22 years is a little much!!

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  Posted by KittyKat Mon Mar 23, 2009 5:26pm PDT

  I want to get married one day to my current boyfriend.

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  Posted by None Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:54am PDT

  I'd be VERY weary as an actor to get married with anyone, soley because of your money's worth, but in real life I would still get a pre-nup. I don't care how sweet he seems, everything can turn sour greatly and then you will regret it for the rest of your life.

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  Posted by Ms. Marshall Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:23pm PDT

  I think that people who are in loving relationships should get married. And I also think that long engagements typically indicate that someone in the relationship, typically the guy, is stalling. I personally don't think it takes a huge amount of time to find out if you want to be with someone for the rest of your life and the seven years aforementioned seems like a waste of time. In the happy cases it ends in a marriage, but then there are other situations where people are involved for over ten years and then someone, typically the guy, decides that he wants out. This has happened to a couple of older women that I know who are now single and in their forties with no prospects. I've learned from their mistakes, and my own spiritual growth/newfound celibacy that it's smarter to play the field and date non-exclusively until you find that person that you really want to get more serious with, and even then, I still choose to forego sex until marriage. It works out in the end because either I'm with someone who adores/respects me or I easily get rid of someone whose noncommittal and only in search of sex anyway. I wish Harrison and Calista all the love and blessings in the world!

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