Thoughts on getting married/marriage

I have several friends getting married over the next few months and valentine's day coming up and it got me nostalgic for my own engagement period. I remember talking with friends and family and sharing our news. Of course when this happens at 20 it comes with a fair share of doubt and judgment. I think my favorite comment was that I talked about marriage like it was a business arrangement.

Frankly, in many ways, marriage is a business arrangement. You are entering into a partnership with another person that will completely alter the way both of your lives go. This person will make almost all of your major life decision with you from now on. Do you have kids? How many kids? Where should we live? How do you spend your money? All part of the partnership.

Movies show us the couple that falls head over heels in love with each other. They have cute meetings and neat things happen to them. Of course in the movie they will have one stupid argument or a misunderstanding that they are incapable of talking about with each other and they will inevitably break up for a scene or two before they run towards each other across the park to kiss/propose to each other/get married. They don't show the couple sitting and discussing what they want out of life and if it's realistic that you can walk through life together in a way that will make you both happy.

I'm kind of tired of hearing of people getting divorced because they are just not happy anymore. Who's fault is that? In a business if you didn't like how things were going would you not try a different strategy? A new business model? Or would you just fold?

I think a lot of people would be happier if they could be less idealistic and more pragmatic.