…I feel like ranting a little.

…News today about Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson getting divorced after two years. Same with Michael C. Hall (from Showtime's Dexter) and Jennifer Carpenter who plays his sister on the show (they made it two.two years.) And evidentially Elizabeth Hurley tweeted that she's now separated from her husband. I think Avril Lavine and Deryk Whembly lasted a year and a half after their lavish wedding and photo spread in People magazine. Kate Walsh, from Private Practice, didn't even make it eleven months.
What the?
Is that how it goes? Does everyone cash in their chips as soon as things get a tad rocky in the relationship? Or is it just Hollywood? "We grew apart" is a pretty commonly stated reason. "We fell out of love," is another. Most couple keep their cars longer than they do their spouses. Sure time is going to test you as a wedded pair, and time is going to provide some really tough challenges. The bloom is going to wear off, but you have to grow through that. I like what Rob Bell said: "Love is really just teamwork." Notice the word "work." And the first half of that word: "team." You've got to put some effort into it, elbow grease, some sweat and tears. Any joker can throw in the towel.
Sure, marriage can be a tough gig at times. I know my own has had it's up's and down's, but I can't imagine not being married to my wife.

…I read in the USA Today two weeks ago that 32% of all Americans think marriage is obsolete. 64% of young males think it will become obsolete in their lifetime. Yikes.

…Everyone wants to be happy, but no one is willing to expend any energy to get happy. So we buy a new outfit, new shoes, a slick car, a bigger house, a nice promotion, and yes, we are indeed happy for a month or so, until that rush wears off. Then we need something else.

…Contrary to popular belief, money does not, in fact, buy happiness. This is from The New York Times Review of Books: "Average happiness in the United States has not increased over the past fifty years even though real per capita income has increased greatly. And though most people think they would be happier if they had more money, they typically react to an increase in wealth or income with a tmeporary spike in their reported happiness, but soon adapt and revert to their former level."

…Why do Americans love their happy endings so much? Probably because, anymore, they can only get them in fiction and film.

…Paul McCartney sang, "You think the people would have had enough of silly love songs" while right around that same time Joy Division sang "Love Will Tear Us Apart." You decide.

…I don't know. I don't have any answers. It just seems like, generally speaking, we Americans are getting lazier with each new year. We expect everything to work perfectly and if it doesn't, we toss it or we find a new drug or we sue somebody or we get a boob job, a tummy tuck.

…I know, I'm crabby. Grumpy people should not post their angry prattle on blogs. Too late.