Untethered Together: The unofficial and unscripted nature of Roma marriages
On lasting love beyond vows and signatures
“Locking it down.” Such a befitting expression in the English language to describe our collective understanding of marriage and commitment.
It evokes an image of wrestling someone down to the ground and then putting them in chains. And now, they cannot move. They cannot leave. They are yours forever.
“Locking it down” is meant to provide security. You sign a contract, you merge your life and assets, and now your relationship is “official” in the eyes of the government (or God) and you vow that you will not leave. You go in with the intention of a lifetime commitment, and you take every step and every precaution that this commitment will, indeed, last a lifetime. You lock it down.
But, as the Romani will tell you, locks on human souls are feeble.
“How Many Marriages End in Divorce?
So, what about the famous statistic that half of all marriages end in divorce? That’s true, but only when it comes to first marriages, half of which are dissolved. Second and third marriages actually fail at a far higher rate.”
