With this ring....

I've been noticing recently that a LOT of people have got engaged or married in the past year. From January in fact. Close friends, sisters of close friends, acquaintances, friends of acquaintances, childhood friends I've not spoken to in ages, other friends where the radio silence hasn't been quite so long. Facebook of course, keeps me up to date with 'developments' and probably exaggerates the number. I mean, how many of these weddings and engagements would I know about if it weren't for Facebook? Probably only about half of them.

I guess at 20 I'm reaching the age where relationships aren't just giggly "so and so likes so and so" affairs but serious commitments of many years. A number of these couples I remember when they initially became 'a thing' while others, I'm so out of touch with that I've never even met their significant other to be.

Watching people who have been going out roughly the same amount of time as me and my boyfriend, and in some cases less, makes me think. Here isn't the place to share the outcome of those thoughts (assuming I've come to any sort of conclusion) however I will ask you this: Is marriage peer pressure a thing?

Growing up, the "get a boyfriend/girlfriend, get engaged, get married, have kids" is the overarching life-plan drilled into us, intentionally or not, by TV, books and films. 'Firsts' is always the big thing too; from the first to go up a stage in reading books, to the first to graduate to using ink pen, to first boyfriend/girlfriend and first kiss.

Having so many peers get engaged and married in some ways makes me wonder if I'm 'being slow' and means I'm definitely not 'first' in any stretch of the meaning. However, I just need to keep reminding myself that being first isn't everything. Engagement and marriage is hardly something you rush into and I'd much rather be the very last than be the first and then regret my decision. Nevertheless, I am curious as to where I'll be in a years time....

EDIT: since I wrote this, I've found out my boyfriend's cousin also got engaged this past week. Seriously, is there something in the air?!