A day in the life of...

The young have something no one else has or ever will have. Time.

It's true. We are smart, beautiful and...alcoholic.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

"It's all Greek to me"

It's always refreshing to know that there are other people out there having just as many dramas and crazy crap in their friendship groups as we are in ours. Even if their problems are to do with religion and ours never are.

One of our mutual friends is Arabic and a devout Muslim. Hey, who says we aren't tolerant of other faiths and cultures? She doesn't believe in drinking, pre-marital sex, working for a living or many other things that make up who most of us are but that doesn't mean we can't all get along. She's a lovely girl and full of opinions that we agree with. We just don't argue about politics, feminism or religion around her.

Anyway she's only 22 but her father is eager to marry her off and she's recently been introduced to a family-approved suitar. Their courtship has been going for a couple of weeks and there are strict rules surrounding how they can both act and when and where and with whom they may see each other. It sounds like hell to some people (namely, us) but she's eager to get married (or at least engaged) despite her age and the two of them have been getting along surprisingly well, especially considering some of the horror stories surrounding family set-ups.

It's actually kind of sweet in a Jane Austen sort of way to watch them flirt in the company of their parents and yet not be able to touch.

The problem is, the fact that she's getting along with the new guy and is already talking about potential engagments and weddings is causing a number of problems with her group of friends.

Many of the girls are jealous. Some of them have been through arrangments that have gone terribly, with men that are unsuitable for a number of reasons, usually their personailty or job porspects. Some of them haven't had a chance to meet a family-approved guy. Some of them have had relationships with unsuitable candidates that have ended badly because of their families. While they should be happy that their friend has lucked out the first time round their jealously is turning them bitchy. Some of them refuse to talk to her about him, some refuse to talk to her at all, some are just bitches to her (and his) face.

Some friends not from her background don't understand and have been making rude comments about the entire process. While it may not be for them, they should at least show some support.

Her few guy friends feel alienated and one is particularly upset because he's always been interested in her and thought they may have a chance but with this new guy who's everything she ever dreamed of (cute, funny, smart, wealthy, good family and with the same religion and bakcground) he can see his chances going up in smoke.

It should be one of the happiest times of her life but she's feeling lonely and upset about it. Surely this shouldn't be how you feel when you meet the love of your life? We're her friends yes but we're not really cut out for the culture shock courtship. Is it too much to ask that she can turn to her friends who do understand what she's going though?