DEVIL’S ADVOCATE

 

Dear Devil’s Advocate,

I’m 19 years old and my boyfriend is 24. We’ve been going out for almost three years now and we’re completely in love with each other. We talk about getting married all the time. I had always assumed that that would happen a few years down the road, but my boyfriend recently gave me a promise ring and wants to talk to my parents about getting engaged now. I know that I want to be with him for the rest of my life, but a small part of me thinks that this is a little too soon. What do you think?

–Going to the Chapel

 

 

Dear Chapel,

Let me get this straight-only a small part of you thinks that this is too soon?! Are you kidding me with this?

First of all, I’m not even going to get into why your boyfriend wants to get married so quickly. Maybe he just wants to get out of his house, maybe it’s a green card issue, I really don’t know. I’m just going to concentrate on you here.

Why on earth would you want to get married at 19 years old? You’ve just started college and the beginning of your semi-independent life. This should be the time when you’re having fun with as few responsibilities as possible. And marriage is a huge responsibility.

Maybe you’re not realizing that. It’s not just about wearing the pretty white dress and getting a huge party. That’s just the fun part. Unless you consider working every day to make the rent, doing loads of laundry, cooking and cleaning a hoot.

 

There’s one other huge issue to consider. How do you even know that this is the guy for you? Sure, he might be your first love and an overall fantastic guy but you’re going to meet a lot of people in this life who could be an even better match for you. And it’s a lot easier to meet those people when you’re not legally bound into marriage.

I could just be being pessimistic though. Maybe this is the only guy for you and maybe one day you will get married. Just save yourself some hardship and your parents the burden of disowning you (because they will) and wait a few years. By then, this whole marriage scheme might have a snowball’s chance in hell of working out. Of course, by that time, I won’t care anymore but you will, and that’s all that really counts.

 

Dear Devil’s Advocate,

I recently went into the city for a job interview. On my way there, this man stopped me and gave me his business card for a modeling agency. He told me that if I had ever considered modeling, I should come in for a consultation. I know it sounds ridiculous but it’s all I thought about during my job interview. I made an appointment for a consultation with the guy, but it just so happens that the job I was interviewing for called me back, and asked me to come in for a second interview on the same day. Is it completely off the wall to not go to the second job interview and go to the modeling agency?

–Model Ambition

 

 

Dear Model,

 

Yes. Yes it is completely off the wall. You are forgoing a potential opportunity for a real, paying job to chase after a tiny potential of a dream at a modeling agency. Are you even sure this is a real agency? Here’s a tip: if you get there and it’s just a dark, empty room with a single camera and the guy you spoke to telling you to remove all your clothing and assuring you that this is how a professional photo shoot works, please run in the other direction.

If this is, in fact, a real modeling agency, I can understand how you would be excited by the allure of such a job. However, are you aware how many models are out there and how few of them actually make a career out of it? It is close to impossible.

There’s no problem with satisfying your curiosity and going in for a consultation, but do yourself a favor and reschedule it for another day. Go on the second interview for the real job. You can always quit it later if you end up on the cover of Vogue (that’s mostly sarcasm unless it actually happens in which case I supported your modeling career all the way and think I should get some kind of credit for it).