Wednesday 25 July 2007

在誓言破灭的瞬间 (in English)

在誓言破灭的瞬间, 我们是否可以相信世界还存在希望?

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On my way to work today, I was listening to Yes933. The DJs were talking about the divorce rate in Singapore. In one year, there are about 20,000 marriages and 7,000 divorces, meaning 30% of marriages failed.

I began to wonder.....what happened to the "钻石恒久远,一颗永流传" analogy? And how about the sacred wedding vows ".....to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part"? Maybe it is because the diamond ring no longer sparkles, maybe memories have faded away with time, or maybe it is just the fickle human mind at work. As proven in many instances, forever turns out to be too long for the frivolous human heart to endure.

Most quoted "性格不和" as the reason for a divorce, which I thought is such a convenient way to disguise much of the agony and bitterness in an estranged marriage. But is a divorce really the ticket to happiness and freedom? Even a new age hippy like me dare not comment.

The question that I now have in my mind is this: if all actions can be undone as easily as signing a piece of paper, can a broken heart be mend with similar ease? Maybe it can be, otherwise, how do we explain the growing number of remarriages? Perhaps, this is a phenomenon of our era where time is money and that leaves us little time left to spend on mourning and regrets.

So what are my views about love and marriage? I share with you one of my favourite Chinese quotes. Read it and you will understand me.

生命诚可贵,爱情价更高, 若为自由故,两者皆可抛。

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