-45: Of splinters and engagement rings.

The past few days I was bothered by something quite trivial - it's one of those things that's like a splinter stuck in your thumb, it's not really life-threatening but annoying nonetheless, and you're unable to pluck it out because you don't have a tweezer. But then life goes on and you eventually forget about it and your body slowly dispels it. Life's too short to fret over cowardly wankers splinters, man.

Yesterday me and my officemates were discussing engagement rings. My contention is - engagement rings are pure waste of resources and have no use whatsoever. I base my argument on three major points:

1. Engagement rings, those that are worth their salt anyway, cost a fortune.
2. You already have a wedding band for everyday use as a man repellent.
   
3. Assuming that you don't leave the marriage, you won't sell your engagement ring, because of sentimental value and all that shit.

Hence - engagement rings are merely glorified rocks on metal that stay primarily locked up in the safe, serving no particular use, except possibly as a family heirloom - but that's only a bigger and cross-generational version of a useless thing that you have to guard with your life but serves no general purpose.

My officemates think I'm the most unromantic person in the world. But I'm just saying, if you're going to spend thousands on a shiny piece of rock, you might as well give me the money. But now - if my man had mined that piece of rock, or if he had built the ring from scratch - now that would serve some symbolic value other than fueling meaningless consumerism and fulfilling societal expectations. And, if I inherit my mum's wedding band, it would mean much more than the engagement ring, because it will actually have been on her finger for most of her life. Get my point?

Another pointed (yet pointless) rant brought to you by the roving mind of a procrastinating research student. Writing is going alright. I am going to kick this paper's ass.