I have entitled this post Pride and Prejudice to disguise the fact that I just read a piece of chick lit by Helen Fielding. The book, which is a 20th century retelling of Jane Austen's classic work, deals with the travails of a single woman in her thirties struggling to find love and career success. Timeless classic it was not, but it was absolutely hilarious and it was hard not to like Bridget.
As a young married man with two kids, I find it comforting that I will not be waking up in my mid thirties like her: still unsure what she wants to do with her life, still wondering whether there will be someone she can settle down with. By marrying early, I have skipped ten years of bachelorhood and all its attendant pleasures. Yet ironically, the very lack of choices is what makes me happy and keeps me focused on my career and my family. I do not have to play the game for the next ten years or so because I know who I will be spending the rest of my life with. Without the need to impress women, I focus on accumulating wealth, building a career, and taking care of my family. Instead of counting alcohol units drank, calories consumed, and weight gained as Bridget does, I can focus instead on counting minds provoked, hearts touched, and lives changed.
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