2. The “Marriage” and “Marriage and Divorce” Games prepped young people for their futures.
For young people who can’t seem to figure out what the opposite sex is looking for in a mate, the “marriage” game was a good way for teenagers and people in their 20’s to talk about what they look for in relationships without burning their own egos. The girls in the party talked about the names of various male celebrities and even fictional characters, wrote the names down, and put them in a bowl. The boys would draw a name, and they would have to take on the persona of that man.
Next, the man would ask a girl to marry him. She would have to say “yes” or “no” based on the characteristics of the character he was playing, not the boy himself. Then, they had to explain to the whole group what her logic was for her decision. For example, if a young man had to take on the persona of the fictional character Dorian Gray, the girl might say, “No, I don’t want to marry Dorian Gray, because he is too arrogant.” He has to move on to the next girl, and ask for her hand in marriage. Sometimes, a girl might say “yes” and give her reasons for why she would marry that person or character, even if others would not.
It was actually a great lesson for young folks that different qualities are attractive to different people, and that even if they are rejected by someone they like, there is still someone else out there for them.
Another similar game was called “Marriage and Divorce”, which was kind of like speed-dating. A young man and woman would come together for the night to get to know one another, but they were forced to talk about the serious issues that only married couples get into. If they realized they were not a good match, they could choose to “divorce” them.