Others’ happiness won’t ruin matrimony

On this Wednesday morning, please take a moment to notice and appreciate that the world is still turning. If you are married, do me another favor and kick the tires and check the foundation of your marriage for any new cracks that may have developed over the past 48 hours. Why? Because it’s been two days since Washington state’s domestic partnership law took effect, allowing gay couples and those in hetero relationships where at least one partner is over 62 to register their unions with the state.

Some say this will make the institution of traditional marriage crumble.

I seriously doubt it. Actually, having been there myself, I’d like to venture that if anyone is making your marriage crumble it’s you and your spouse. All the happy lesbian couples in Olympia have absolutely nothing to do with it.

Anyway, I find it a little bit funny that domestic partners have to register with the Corporations Division at the secretary of state’s office. Even if a gay couple would rather die than shop at the closest ‘big box’ store, they will find their union filed in the same computer system as Home Depot.

No matter what you call it or where you register, of course this is one step closer to legalizing gay marriage, and I don’t have a problem with that whatsoever.

I mean, who cares? If two people want to help each other through hard times, build wealth together and commit to supporting one another through life, the rest of us should be cheering.

I was married for a dozen years, and it certainly had its advantages socially, financially and emotionally, so if someone else wants to give that a shot, they have my complete support.

Just because I’m not quite ready to open another joint checking account, I wouldn’t dream of getting in the way of two people pursuing lifelong couple-hood, including the ability to unplug each other’s life support system at the ICU, if that time ever comes.

I believe that humans are better off when we are paired up, but it isn’t any of my business who you pair up with, as long as no one is breaking the law.

You see, people aren’t that different, regardless of whom they cuddle up to at the end of the day.

Gay, straight, a little of both, questioning, confused, or all of the above, whatever your sexual orientation is, most people long for the same thing: unconditional love, acceptance, a sense of safety and belonging, and the notion that it matters to someone else whether we’re happy or sad.

When two people do find this bliss, the rest of us just need to take our belief systems and get out of the way.

And I can’t resist this parting shot: Don’t we have anything more important to deal with and care about in this country, than whether Annie can marry Dorothy? Last I checked we were involved in a war in the Middle East, the dollar is the lowest and gas is the highest they’ve been in decades, our food is routinely recalled from grocery stores because it’s so contaminated it can kill you, and you can catch an incurable infection in the hospital.

Seems to me there are a couple of issues here we could spend some time and energy on.

Then again, nothing seems to rile up Americans like gay marriage except, perhaps, abortion. I’m beginning to think the spin masters of our current administration have figured that out and now conveniently launch a “let’s get the masses riled up” issue every time they desire to divert our attention from something like the war in Iraq.

Could politicians be that sinister? Nah, it’s probably just me being entirely too cynical.