What is marriage ?

The union between two people, to form a couple whether it be for legal reasons or love. I say legal reasons because throughout the world there are arranged marriages or different types of marriages where there is not a special bond or love between the two people. I refuse to declare marriage as a "holy union" between two people. Atheists can get married, as well as anyone. Indeed it may derive from that, but it doesn't necessarily make it such. At a social level, to an extent it represent commitment and devotion to one person, rather than going out and possibly sleeping with a different woman every now and then. It also commonly I believe represents the sudden possibility of children. Of course marriage is not some kind of pre-requisite to having children, but commonly people get married after discovering they're having a baby, or marry and have kids. I suppose in a way it could represent part of life, and filling a void of loneliness (although some people are fine alone, don't get me wrong). I honestly think many people don't take marriage seriously enough today. All around me where I live, you can just talk to adults and every 1 in 5 or so will have divorced at least once, it's ridiculous. Then there's the cynical, and slightly comical point of view of marriage. The people who joke and say marriage is the beginning of the end of your life. Dragging your sorry ass home every day, sitting down, eating dinner, and asking "How was your day today?", them replying it was ok and asking how yours was, and you rambling on about how your boss is a bitch and you really wanna' just retire. You go to bed, maybe get a little action, but ultimately end up talking about random shit no one cares about in the first place. Of course this is just one point of view, there are many pros to being married, but I'm speaking in terms of the cynical/comical side. Once you marry you say goodbye to many things perhaps you take for granted. The odd day your spouse will say "We're going to the [name here]'s place for dinner", you reply "Oh **** but I hate them!", but end up going anyways. This in a way is how I feel on the situation about marriage. Too many marriages are so boring without any romance, that you become a pathetic excuse for a living being, but alas, I digress.