I am no married man and that fronts me as the best person to write about “The Proverbial Wedding Day” after all I have no wife to be afraid of. I can speak a man’s world freely.
For most men, we just don’t get it. What is the fuss all about? I mean , why the huge celebration? Are we getting married to the whole village, city or suburb? Why don’t we take a flight to South Africa and finish this thing on an island quietly; your in-laws, my in-laws and he/she that brings us together. Pap. Happily ever after. Do we have to do the mega celebration, meet for months, meet and meet and meet , then meet again. From whence shall our help come from?
I think this inclination is genetic and deeply rooted and in our DNA unless you are one, you wouldn’t understand the other. Look at children, girls begin playing with dolls and teddy bears (envisioning a family ) before they can utter a word. Well, boys are in the streets simulating war games, car racing and high adrenaline adventures. How different we are. Ladies have mercy upon us.
It is told when a woman loves you, she will date you, court you and marry you in her head before you gather the courage to utter a word. If this is true it baffles me how you still get surprised when we forget anniversaries, monthiversaries, birthdays, women days etc. You are ages ahead of us, we are trying to catch up with the difference. But gentlemen, we got to pull our act together.
I won’t sleep during mine but a reliable source has it that 60% of men are half asleep at their own weddings. The only man actively involved in a wedding is the father in law because he is about to relinquish responsibility to the groom. She comes packaged in a white raiment, majestic in glory and splendour until you go with her home and begin to unwrap the package. Lo and Behold… Well, that is to be discussed on another day.
Most men (save the groom and in-laws) attend a wedding for the reception alone (the food entertainment etc) and in extreme cases to pick up women and hopefully get themselves brides too.
To let you in on a secret, others are only there because of their wives/girlfriends. I guess that is what they call love. Unbelievable, the things we do.
On a serious note, meaningful relationships require sacrifice and commitment. I celebrate all men and more so mad respect to the married. Welcome to a man’s world. From Mitchell Odhiambo To get a female perspective on weddings, please click link, to read my colleague Beryl Amatta’s views
