I posted this on my other blog, but I feel pretty strongly about it so I decided to post it here as well.

In light of the recent vote in Maine revoking the rights of same sex couples to marry I thought I would post a little about marriage.
First of all, I feel marriage is mostly a religious institution. I was married in a church, by a pastor, and there was prayer and religious song singing and etcetera. My husband and I, though neither of us are really religious now, were brought up as such and our families and communities are. So thats how we did it. It was a good, beautiful day and we were with the people that mean the most to us and I will always remember it fondly.
But in addition to the church stuff we also had to go to city hall and get our marriage license and then take it back after the officiant signed it and get the state seal on it and now it is filed away in a cabinet somewhere. However, despite the fact that the church wedding was the "event" the city hall stuff is what made it official. Had we not been from the background we had or not cared about having the wedding, we could have just done the city hall part. No one would have asked us about our religion or beliefs of any kind and no one checked to make sure we weren't related or anything like that. My point is, it doesn't matter what you believe to the government.
So why, OH WHY, are we forcing the religious beliefs of some onto the government regulations concerning marriage? I heard a quote on NPR today to the effect of "The people have spoken and clearly no matter what politicians choose to legislate to be popular, the people do not agree with same sex marriage." Really? How does this make any sense? And since when do we leave the rights of the minority up to a majority vote??
Here's my real beef. I feel like some people NOT being allowed to marry those they love undermines my marriage. In the words of Woody Allen, "I don't want to be in any club that would have me as a member." I hate that this institution that I am a part of is discriminatory enough to keep others out, based completely on religious beliefs that I don't ascribe to. It makes me feel like my marriage is tainted.
One day same sex couples will be able to marry (I believe this because I believe in humanity and I believe that people will eventually do the right thing, just like with slavery and civil rights and women's rights) and my kids will be reading the history books and learn that there was a time in my life that these people were discriminated against for loving one another. And what will I be able to say? That I was part of that club that was saying "gay marriage undermines marriage." That I was a plantation owner of our day? I am not an oppressor, I realize that. But how am I supposed to feel when it seems like I can so easily be lumped in with those who are.
My marriage is out of love, but our government incentivizes marriage with lots of financial benefits. But we are going to disallow a significant portion of the popualtion to have these benefits, not to mention the declaration of committing to one another legally, because they are in possession of the wrong chromosomes, or because people aren't comfortable with what goes on behind closed doors. Here's a newsflash: It's none of your business. The government can't tell me who to marry and they shouldn't be able to say who I can't. Marriage won't be of real value until it's available to everyone.

Have you ever heard of this? It's called Sweetest Day or I think more officially "The Sweetest Day of the Year."
David and I went to a near by grocery store last week (Tuesday or Wednesday I think) and we saw a display practically blocking the door announcing that Sweetest Day was this Saturday covered with flowers and candy and cards.
We thought this was just something our local grocery chain made up to sell candy and flowers and a few greeting cards. As the week went on though we heard more about it around town. And then I saw a blurb about it on a news site I read today and was shocked to learn from Wikipedia that Sweetest Day has been around since the 1920's! A whole holiday I have never even heard of.
Apparently it was started by the candy companies. Big shocker, a holiday invented to sell stuff. But apparently the companies promoted this holiday by giving away candy to "newsboys, orphans, old folks and the poor." It's supposed to remind us to show love for our fellow humans, and kindness to the sick and unfortunate. Also, to sell candy.
I guess this is mostly celebrated in the Great Lakes regions (where the companies that started it were located) and people get pretty excited about it. I guess it's cool that there is a regional holiday that I have discovered from moving somewhere new. It makes me a little sad that it's just a commercially concocted sales scheme, but what are holidays for?

And it's cold in chicago! Like it's barely getting above 60, and today I saw my breath. And I don't think its gonna warm back up :).
A lot of great things have been happening though. A had a great trip a few weeks ago for my birthday and when I got back I got a new job! I am now a part time employee at Nina: a well knit shop! It's a yarn store very near to my house. It's a beautiful shop and I love that I get to work there. I have so far been helping to teach people to knit, helping people decide on yarns for new projects, and doing some sample knitting. It's so cool!
My Dad is back in the states now and they are coming to visit next week. I am so excited to see both of them and to hang out and have a really fun time. David has a couple days off from work and he and Dad are going fishing one day, and the day he's at work Mom and Dad and I are going to do some rearranging in the house. I promise I will finally take pictures and put them up.
This weekend David and I are going to clean up the house and put up our fall decorations. Yay for fall decorations! We are also going to a birthday party this weekend for our new friends' son. He is turning one. So it should be a fun weekend.
I always think of things I want to blog about and then I open up an entry and it all flies out of my mind. Oh well, maybe next time I will have something thought provoking to say.