On television, in an image carefully cultivated by the diamond industry, a man is shown genuflecting in front of a woman and begging her to marry him.
The bribe, to sway the doe-eyed lass, is always a diamond.
I don’t care for that image. Not at all.
I don’t care for it because it is fundamentally flawed.
First of all, bending one knee to the ground has been from time immemorial a gesture of allegiance to somebody higher in rank or status.
The Apple dictionary clearly defines allegiance as “a commitment of a subordinate to a superior”.
So, this knee-bending bit indicates right off the bat that the man acknowledges the woman’s dominance and agrees implicitly to let her run the show for the next foreseeable future.
Not smart!
Secondly, there should not be any begging! Begging is for dogs. And anyway, there will be plenty of time for that later.
Then, instead of a genuflection I would favor sealing a deal with a handshake.
The handshake has long been considered a gesture of peace, demonstrating that the extended hand holds no weapon. You need this kind of reassurance at the beginning of this war and peace saga.
Next there is the matter of the rock itself.
Why should the man (only the man) be required to present the woman with an expensive present?
Shouldn’t the man also be entitled to receive something in exchange?
A motorcycle maybe, or a fishing rod?
Personally, I would feel more inclined to reward somebody with some trinket after a few years of good and loyal services. Not before.
It doesn’t make sense. You don’t give a bonus to an associate when he is just starting.
And what if the bride-to-be grabs the rock and thumbs her nose at you?
It has happened more times than you think.
So, I highly disapprove of this genuflection farce and diamond-bribing charade.
I would like to see this diamond peddlers’ gimmick discarded and instead of precious stones, I would like the groom and bride exchange olive branches (historically worn by brides and -endangered species- virgins).
The olive branch is a symbol of peace and harmony and is more meaningful than a vulgar kneeling trick and a cold piece of rock.
Sorry De Beers!
Diamonds are not a guy’s best friends!
Alain