To Have Is Not To Hold

A friend of mine is getting engaged, or is engaged to be married. She was discussing the price of diamond rings and the idea that she might like to purchase a second hand ring in order that they could save some money and be a little more creative. After all, where is the art in wandering into Graff and laying down the price of an apartment? Yesterday on the way to buy a cake,  ever helpful I looked in the jewel shops of Burlington Arcade and what struck me was just how many 'second hand' engagement rings there were. I wondered if each one of the those precious stones embodied some bitter disappointments and sorrows of the previous owner. Shattered dreams of togetherness cashed in at the local porn shop? I am reminded of Marian Williamson talking about the 'jewel encrusted frames of our ideals', she says the rubies are your blood and the diamonds are your tears. I can't imagine the energy of a second hand ring would be particularly great somehow. I think I would not get engaged in the first place as it seems totally pointless this side of the enlightenment era and not get married either except of course under the following circumstances

• man is extremely interesting & rich 
• international border issues 
• protection of inheritance 

When a friend who was struggling not to divorce his wife asked me if I would ever get married again, my response was 

'Not for something as transient as love.'