Living Together Before Marriage...A statistical risk...

I've always said that I would live with my man prior to getting married to "test the waters" and make sure everything was okay. But lately I've seen more and more statistical data that says this may not be a wise idea.

Stats such as "Couples who live together not only are significantly more likely to divorce after marriage, but about 45 percent of them will break up before marriage, studies show." And remarks like "Men and woman cohabitate for different reasons. Women see it as a step toward marriage. They think they can audition for this job. Men do it because they like to have the ready availability of sex and having someone share their living expenses."

So what do you guys think? In looking at the stats, is it wise to Live Together Before Marriage?

For or Against Michelle's Speech???

For those of you who watched and heard Michelle Obama's speech the opening night of the Democratic Convention, what did you think about it? I've heard quite a few different opinions on both sides of the fence. While watching, I felt like she did a good job, and I felt proud of her as not only a woman, but as a black woman. But my boyfriend was pissed the whole time during her speech. He was mad she spent so much time talking about her brother, her dad, and her family as a whole. He said it almost came off cocky b/c we didn't need to hear about her, we needed to hear about Barack, the issues, and what part and role her and her husband planned to play in leading our nation. He said she wasted a great opportunity to sway some of our "on the fence" people & get votes.

I didn't see it his way, and afterwards, many of the major networks aired people making the same comments as my boyfriend, sending a lot of backlash her way.

So just wondering, are you For or Against Michelle's Speech???

Too Many MC's Not Enough Mics

I'm a girls girl. I love hanging out with my friends, making new friends and just having that camaraderie with like minded females. However, there are times when I've had enough of the female bonding and the gabfests. I realized that I had my fill of these sessions when on Sunday, after a skate party, I was invited to a classmates house to hang out with other classmates. The first thing that popped to my mind was, "I'm not going to that. Too many soft legs are going to be there." I know, rude, but that's how I'm feeling.

Now, this isn't about finding someone to date. But sometimes you just want some male energy in your life. I used to have boat loads of male friends that I could just call up and chat with or hang out with. But these days, if your not trying to date a dude they don't want to be your friend. So where did all the homies go? Am I the only one wondering this?

The problem does get worse if you are seeking someone to date. There are waaay to many females and not enough males, especially if your looking for quality. This is a heavy topic of discussion during my girls gabfests and one that I'm not going to get into now.

So, I didn't attend the get together at my classmates house. I told her I was too tired to attend, I spared her the part about being too tired of dealing with a whole bunch of women. I later learned that there were guys there but that the male to female ratio as usual was disproportionate. I believe that its perfectly fine to hang out with your girls a lot but I also believe in balance and sometimes you, well I, need a little testosterone to take the edge off and even things out.

Is it really worth it???

Many of us have faced the higher degree dilemma...Get one or not? But does it really pay off? Does getting your Masters, that Law or Medical degree ensure you all the things you are wanting (better position, higher salary, etc.)? Is that extra debt really worth it?

Just wondering...I hear people on both sides of the fence so I was wondering what you all thought...

Loyalty....

Pri posted this on our Sextonreunion.com site in the group for Singles. I thought it was a great topic, so wanted to put it out here for us to comment on...

"The problem with you young women is...you have loyalty of a wife when you're not one." I recently heard this statement and and it speaks volumes. It has been something that I've seen many of my single friends (and myself) struggle with through many relationships. Does that mean loyalty in reference to being monogamous with one person? Or does it mean referring to the Sally Homemaker tasks that we take on in relationships (ex. cleaning, cooking, putting credit on the line, etc.) for whichever person we happen to be seeing at any given time?

Todays' society is acceptable of many living arrangments and dating styles--blended families, co-habitatin, joint accounts (without marriage), etc--and the desire and "need" for marriage isn't what it was in the past. I'm sure not everyone's take on marriage or desire for marriage, but what exactly is too loyal when you're single?

If a picture is a thousand words, where do I begin?

We all saw it. Elegantly dressed in a royal purple dress Michelle Robinson Obama graced the stage holding President Elect Barack Obama's hand. They walked the from one end of the stage to another and then to the podium. They smiled, waved, clapped, and gave thanks to the audience. He stood to the right of the podium for brief moment, put his arms around her, and kissed her on the cheek. Before exiting the stage, Michelle took a small step back, gave her husband the Ride-or-die-Let's-Go-Get-'em face along with a pound and a thumbs up and made her departure. I went crazy and texted back the unknown "517" number that I had been texting with the entire evening regarding the election . I wrote 4 words...MICHELLE IS THE BOMB!

So why do I wake up this morning to find every news station discussing the "fist bump" and searching to find some underlying negative connotation? I didn't know it was up for discussion. It was the most sincere action I had seen by any couple since Whitney Houston proclaimed her ex as the King of R &B. Not only is this something we do culturally, but it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL to see an image of what real love, respect, and determination can bring. It was in the very moment that I understood everything that the Yes We Can" speech stood for. The authenticity of such an act showed me what the Obama team were really made of. This single act showed me that hope has a new meaning, change really can happen, and the role model for men and women everywhere has a new face. 1968 was not that long ago and this win means something to Black America. This single gesture showed me that Michelle and Barack understand and have not forgotten that.

Fun In the Sun...Here We Come!!!

What are the must have items you are bringing for our trip ladies??? I'm so excited!!! Dominican Republic here we come!