i can't wait to be mrs. jenny lewis.

i've been thinking a lot recently about cultural norms and habits, and really how odd some of them are. i think i've just been noticing certain things more often lately, and questioning how bizarre and outdated they seem to be.

marriage in general, but certain things really baffle me. particularly taking the last name of the person you marry, customarily that of the woman adopting her husband's last name. this and all the weird suggestions of ownership, and the transfer of it, seem ridiculous to me. my advice, keep your name. there's a 50 percent chance the marriage will end in divorce anyway, save yourself the paperwork.

leading up to marriage, i'm also confused by the courting practice. one, when people only date a person they can see themselves marrying. if i only dated people who i thought i would marry i would never leave my house. secondly, i think it is outdated to assume when a person asks you on a date that they will pay for you. maybe this one is just me, and i have weird rules and habits with money, but it makes so much more sense to me when both parties pay their own way.

outside of marriage now, there are plenty of other things that confuse me. why do people take their hats off for prayer, the national anthem, at memorials? i know it's supposed to be out of respect, but how is it disrespectful in the first place? bald heads and bad haircuts are equally displeasing to the eyes. and in the winter no one takes off their knit caps. also, i don't understand why people say "sorry" after someone has told them personal bad news. it may be polite, but it's an insinsere apology for something no one can change. instead, try saying something that it might really help the person to hear. another, why do people still say, "bless you" after someone sneezes? i've shied away from the pointless habit, unless i tell someone "god bless you" and really then it's just more for irony.

finally, i do not understand the practice of shaking hands. it seems like such a cold and manufactured way of showing affection. not to mention, no one ever knows if the other person has bothered to wash their hands recently. hugging is more personal and involves less germ-sharing. that said, when i do find myself in a situation where i have the shake someone else's hand, i always judge the person based on how firm the handshake is.