Marrying in or right out of college seems to be a popular trend for many young Oklahoman women. This could because of several reasons such as geographical location, culture, societal pressure or just true love.
Whatever the reason may be, a younger age of marriage comes along with a higher divorce rate. According to an article written in 2009 by pewresearch.org.
“In Arkansas and Oklahoma, men and women marry young—half of first-time brides in these states were age 24 or younger on their wedding day.”
And CNN also says Oklahoma is in the top states for divorce.
“Nevada, Maine and Oklahoma have the highest percentage of divorced adults. Arkansas and Oklahoma have the highest rates of people who have walked down the aisle at least three times.”
CNN also looks at another interesting tie between marrying young and education.
“In states with higher numbers of college-educated adults, couples tended to wed at older ages, while the opposite was true with states with lower education levels.”
It could be because we live in the Bible belt and we’re not asking the right kind of questions before walking down the aisle. But why is it that several Oklahoman women feel the need to get married at such a young age? What’s the rush? If you’re going to spend the rest of your life with this person, can’t you both wait a few more years before tying the knot?
I don’t believe there’s a right age to get married. But, I do believe that young adults truly begin to experience life after the age of 21 or college graduation. With that being said, sometimes it’s better to take those few years of your life before you’re married to discover who you are and become more of your own person.
It’s possible to have a great marital relationship at 18. However, it can also be much more of a challenge then when you’re 25 and more financially and emotionally stable.
If you’re young, in love and feel like you’re ready to get married, great, but ask yourself why you feel like this is the appropriate time to do it. Make sure you’re being logical. It’s easy to get caught up in irrational feelings, especially when you’re deeply in love. Be analytical, do some research, but most of all try to remember you’ll be waking up next to this person for the rest of your life (hopefully), and old habits diehard. You’re young and have countless opportunities awaiting you. Marriage isn’t going to go away, especially if it’s with the right person.