Lunch Talk about Marriage

Whilst having lunch with an Egyptian man, I heard more about his personal life as he marked the cornerstones on his way to marriage and having a family. As a young man in his twenties he lived in Alexandria, a modern Egyptian city where young people, especially young women, lead an independent life, enjoying themselves while developing a career, going out and dating according to western style. So he dated women and loved the idea of just doing things together such as travelling without the final commitment. However, there seem to be more conservative women. He met one, admired her for her beauty and enjoyed her company. He had reached the end of his twenties by now. They could not date for long without clarifying their intensions, his intensions in fact. They got married. Eight years into marriage, he is happy to have her, to have her as the mother of his children. He is oftentimes feeling the immense pressure of responsibility…yet accepting and handling it well. On few occasions he misses the careless time of dating. Source photograph: National Geographic