If you still aren’t turned off by the 1,007 milligrams of sodium or the fact that 50% of it is fat, then I say go for it!  You enjoy your Big Mac.  Now if you are a glutton like I used to be, then just keep on and see what will happen.  I bet after awhile a 120 minute bike ride would be enough to cause severe chest pains.  So, enjoy your Big Macs in moderation, you don’t want to have to call moving company Los Angeles or your hometown to get you out of bed each day.

This led me to wonder, “How many years apart are too many?” It seems that in today’s society, if a couple is more than 10 years apart, it’s considered wrong. If the wife is younger by more than 10 years, she is considered a “gold-digger”. If the husband is younger by more than 10 years, he is considered desperate. When did marrying someone significantly older become weird? In the middle ages, this was the norm.

Men in their 50′s were marrying their 13 year old nieces. Young princesses were married off to old and fat kings. Yet in today’s society, Jerry Lee Lewis was demonized for marrying his 13 year old cousin. What’s changed between the Middle Ages and now? First we need to address two questions. “What is the purpose of marriage in each scenario?” and “What is love?” No, not the Haddaway song. Marriage in the middle ages was all about strategy and alliances. Marrying for love was not in the cards (see Romeo and Juliet).

Today, marriage is meant to be expression of love. That’s why the divorce rate in America is 50%. We love too many people. Why stay with one spouse, when you can choose from millions more? Divorce wasn’t much of an option in the middle ages, unless you are a fan of decapitation. As for love, today’s society uses that term for a broad range of meanings. “I love that skirt”, “I love pizza”, or even “I love Da Bears”.

In the middle ages, a proclamation of love either bound you to another human being or got you killed on the spot. They never said, “I just LOVE jousting” or “Check out tall, dark and handsome, I LOVE the way his infected skin disease bring out the color in his eyes.” Maybe the middle ages were on to something. They were far more serious about love and relationships, even if there was a huge age disparity. Maybe in an attempt to be politically correct, we have forgotten the true essence of love and marriage. So, the next time you see read about a 50 year old marrying a 16 year old, be happy. At least not all of society is messed up!