I don't usually care about marriage news because, well, I don't generally care about marriage, period. But this recent piece from Reuters intrigued and delighted me: Mexico City lawmakers are contemplating issuing temporary marriage licenses.
According to Reuters, "Leftists in the city's assembly -- who have already riled conservatives by legalizing gay marriage -- proposed a reform to the civil code this week that would allow couples to decide on the length of their commitment, opting out of a lifetime."
Even better: "The contracts would include provisions on how children and property would be handled if the couple splits."
This is, I think, the perfect solution to the intractable and painful process that marriage often becomes for many people. Divorce in a predominantly Catholic country like Mexico is, I imagine, both culturally and economically stressful and while it may be more acceptable here, nothing makes you feel more vulnerable than the drawn out process of deciding who gets the $24.99 toaster you received as a wedding gift, or the 13-year-old kid whose onerous college fees can be seen looming in the near future.
This is a perfect solution: Make marriage work like disappearing ink. Get married, see how it works out for two years - a reasonable time period to decide who gets to take out the garbage and who gets the left side of the bed and, of course, whether or not you'd actually want to continue living with each other for much longer.
I like this. There are, of course, logistical issues to consider. [click on "Read More" below]
