What Are You Doing? Chapter 7: Courting Delays.
Disclaimer: I am in a fantastic mood today. I'm taking the first day off from the second volunteer job I have taken in a couple weeks, and I'm sitting on my deck with a glass of wine writing this. Current View:
Wine: I have a glass for sipping.
Ok, for starters, it has been pointed out to me that this pile of horseshit has a 4 and 5 rating on Goodreads and Amazon. If you feel the direction of the lord calling you to do so, I think we should do something about that.
Today, we are meeting a new character, the Barren Spinster. Granted, shes only thirty-two years old, but think of all the babies she could have had if her daddy had sold her on Bridal!Ebay. Artist's rendering:
Illustration is another set of houses. We get it, this park is in a weird place that's bordered both by high rise buildings and average neighbourhoods. Let's mix it up a little, shall we? Oy. Anyway, we are back in the damned park and seriously, does anyone ever go anywhere but the park in this town? Why couldn't this chapter have happened in, I dunno, the produce section at Kroger or something? I hate this book.
Anyway, for some stupid reason, Good Girl is at the park with her cousin, Barren Spinster, HOPING to run into Space Invader. Why the actual fuck would anyone hope for that? Good Girl wants Space Invader to hear more about courtship from Barren Spinster. Um, again, if Good Girl honestly chose courtship, why doesn't she understand it and and why can't she defend it? Anyway, Barren Spinster name drops Her Hand in Marriage by Douglas Wilson and goes on about how it gives such a "Biblical way to get married," and mentions that she has courted. Space Invader says uh, no, it's not terribly biblical at all, and for once I agree with her.
Space Invader asks how long Barren Spinster has been married, and Barren Spinster says that she isn't. Space Invader is all ......., but I thought you courted? Barren Spinster says that not all courtships have to end in marriage, and tells us that her first courtship was when she was eighteen and her dad broke it off because the man didn't have what was needed to support her. Apparently he's still supporting himself doing odd jobs fourteen years later. I hate hate hate this idea of dad gets to decide who the woman can court, but this doesn't seem like a terribly bad idea to break it off. The larger question is why the heck did daddy approve this relationship to start with? Methinks daddy needs to reread the courtship manuals.
The second courtship was with someone from another church, and was broken off by the man because of doctrinal differences. Space Invader, is of course, saddened that Barren Spinster hasn't married and proceeded to pump out 38493724382 babies. I mean, you never know, he might have changed his mind on doctrine in the future, cos marrying expecting the person to change NEVER ends badly. We get it book, no one should look at pesky little things like religious beliefs or ability to eat when looking for a life partner. I can't imagine how unhappy people who marry under this clusterfuck end up.
QuoteBeth: [Breezily] Oh, we don’t call them failed courtships.liii That’s part of the whole courtship process, you know, part of making sure the eventual marriage really is in the Lord’s will.
Isha: Oh? If you don’t mind my asking, how old are you?
Beth: [After a pause] I’m thirty-two.
Isha: And you don’t think a system that has left you unmarried and barren at thirty-two has failed?
Beth: [Shocked] I... I’m still hoping... [Bursts into tears]
Isha: I’m sure you are dear, [Hugs her] and I’m sorry for you.
Oh. My. God. BOUNDARIES. Also, unmarried and barren? There's more to life than being married and pumping out umpteenth babies, but it's pretty clear that Space Invader doesn't think so. What a horrible fucking thing to say. She's just as much of an asshole as her husband. I just can't with this whole exchange.
After this clusterfuck of dialog, we move on to talk about how courtship is leaving behind a bunch of unmarried girls and what a tragedy that is. I mean, think of all the eggs that aren't being fertilised! God, I hate these people. Barren Spinster takes her leave, and Good Girl and Space Invader talk about how they both hope that Good Girl doesn't end up a barren spinster too. *gag.
With that, we are done with this chapter.
- 12
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