Death and taxes are two of the certainties in life but getting married is a personal choice so the answer has got to be “marriage!”

Let’s just take a look at the facts:

· Men die on average 5 years before women – one reason is so they can have a rest!

· Half of marriages end in divorce – divorce is derived from the Latin word related to emasculate but in a modern sense it really means open wallet extraction without anesthetic. Was the wedding cake really that good?;

· Men are expected to work and provide while women are expected to stay at home and look after the kids, which neatly leads on to;

· Kids – affectionate little darlings that will eat, poop and sleep usually when you wish to do one of the aforementioned and don’t forget the cost even without college tuition – for each and every one your beloved pops out you are just paying for a Ferrari.

Death and taxes are a few of things you just have to deal with in your life unless you want to be an actor (Wesley Snipes) new roomie at whatever jail he’s serving time in for failing to render unto the government that which belongs to Uncle Sam. Death is inescapable and there is nothing you can do about that except postpone it – look after yourself, exercise regularly, watch your diet and keep your life as stress free and as calm as possible (yet another reason to avoid marriage!).

Unless you are into pain and distress, why would anyone want such a life?

Death and taxes are things we have no control over – they are there, they are a fact of life so accept with them and get over it!

Marriage is a decision but why do so many lemmings take the jump if it’s such a bad deal?

Sex is a big reason, you get comfortable with someone and you start thinking pillow thoughts such as, “This would be great every day.” and guess what – that’s right, she knows it full well too!

Society as a whole has placed the institution of marriage on a pedestal and so much marketing spin has been applied it is almost impossible to separate fact from friction. Sex is NOT something you get every day when you are married – if you’re still getting laid once a month after five years it isn’t with your wife! There is an old joke about why lobster bisque is the same as a sex– when your are married they are both things you only get away from home!

Sex is not the primary cause of divorce though – the real reason is actually money issues but therein lies the rub – you don’t need to be in financial hell to mess up your marriage because no matter what you make, no matter how much you accumulate and no matter what kind of great life you provide for your wife and family you have to understand it will NEVER be enough!

Most women feel this way; the grass will always be greener but it is not a change of scenery they are interested in so much as a more successful man – don’t be arrogant or full of hubris here because there will always be someone who makes more dinero than you do unless your name happens to be Bill Gates. It comes down to who will take care of her and the children better and if someone else enters into the scene who can do better - your time is up.

It is the masking of marriage as an ideal state of being that has raised expectations for so many couples embarking on this lifelong commitment (which starts with a expensive engagement ring) which half will never keep – expectations have been raised beyond reality and in effect, marriage has become little more than a marketing con which is crass hypocrisy. Think about that before getting engaged, you may avoid a big mistake.