choosing the venue

  We all see the meme's on Facebook and the little stories. I enjoy most of them especially the "do you remember" ones. I like seeing the old photographs and reading the tales about the things we did as children. All that nostalgic stuff. We read and nod our heads in agreement on how much better things were back then. Crime wasn't nearly as serious but was punished severely. I mean we weren't stabbing and shooting each other but we were prosecuted like we did! Just talking back to an adult, any adult was a serious offense. Still, we all remember those days as being the best. We often say we wish we could go back in time, bring all that back for today's children to learn from and enjoy. We are sure that everything would be different, better than it is now.

 I find myself thinking those thoughts as well. I am convinced I was raised in the best time in America. The boom following our great victory over the Germans and the Japs! We had secured freedom for the world! Our parents that had served, went to war and fought for that freedom held their heads up high but never bragged, never complained about any of that. Most remained stoic and generally silent about their experiences in that war. They went about their business with a quiet resolve, self-assured and battle tested. The economy was booming, and modern inventions seemed to appear daily. Transistor radios, color television, big automobiles, travel by airplane and you could simply dial a phone to be connected almost anywhere! And overnight it seemed like you didn't even have to dial anymore, just push a button. It was an amazing time. 

 I think about that and wonder what went wrong. It's obvious to me that something did. Things aren't the way they used to be, and I don't believe the majority of the time it is for the better. Yes, there have been good advances in the area of human rights, medicine and science. Technology has advanced and provides us all with greater opportunities to improve ourselves. But it has all come at a cost. It is that cost that concerns me. I have joined in, I'm not immune, nor have I been excluded from all of that. If there is guilt to be shared, I have to claim a portion of that guilt. Just what has the cost been?

 I've been thinking about that for some time now. I've come to a simple conclusion. I think we need to return to the time when the church was the preferred venue for a wedding. That is what has changed everything in my opinion. When we decided that the venue was a more serious question than the commitment, things started going off track. Only about 22% of all marriages today are performed by a religious leader. By a big margin it is more likely to be a friend of the family or a civil magistrate performing the ceremony. The underlying message being what? That failure of the marriage isn't a big deal, no lifetime contract is being violated and there are no religious consequences. The actual marriage is all about the show! That's why the venue needs to be selected with care, the theme established and the stage set. The principal players aren't nearly as important as the event itself! And yes, you can have more than one Superbowl! Marriage has gone from a solemn event to a celebration. As an aside we also celebrate life these days, at funerals. Something else to consider.

 Lots of changes over the years. Lots of attitudes towards certain social occasions and events have changed as well. You could say the world has become more fluid. Fluid being another word for indecisive or non-committal. Not being either one of those may get you labeled judgmental. It is definitely a more permissive world today than it was years ago. I don't think anyone could argue otherwise. But the thing is this, just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Yes, it is a change of venue the America of today. In my way of thinking we should go back to the old way, that venue was much nicer, not perfect, but better than what we have now.