Conversations with Calliope- Marriage and Death

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. That seems like an odd title for you entry.
JOE: I suppose it is But those are the two events which kept me busy this weekend.
CALLIOPE: Tell me more.
JOE: Families get together quite often for marriages and funerals. Sometimes they are the only places I have seen some of the people I know.
CALLIOPE: What else do they have in common.
JOE: I was just thinking about that for my Saturday column.
CALLIOPE: What did you come up with?
JOE: Both are significant way stations in life. Birth is the other major one but I didn't have one to celebrate this weekend.
CALLIOPE: Anything else.
JOE: The ideas is still percolating. Let me think a moment.
CALLIOPE: Not too long. You have work to do.
JOE: Right. Marriage is an occasion for a couple to join their lives and for their community of friends to join in support of their union.
CALLIOPE: And death.
JOE: Death and funerals provide families with a chance to remember the life of their loved one, say goodbye and comfort each other. I guess that's my theme. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- What Words Mean

(Wedding Bower)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Were you serious about contacting William Safire or just kidding?
JOE: Serious. After some sleuthing to find his email address at the New York Times, I sent him a post suggesting he consider the meaning of the word marriage.
CALLIOPE: Do you think he will?
JOE: I am sure he has many requests for topics. I always appreciate requests from my readers and usually end up honoring them in one form or another.
CALLIOPE: That's a good way to be sure you aren't just talking to yourself or me.
JOE: I agree. Although I enjoy our talks, I like it when readers chime in as they have lately on the topic of marriage.
CALLIOPE: Are you done with this topic?
JOE: Hard to say. My column for Saturday, also to appear in Sliding Otter News, looks at the issue further.
CALLIOPE: What feedback have you gotten from your readers?
JOE: Some didn't see what the big deal was. Just let everyone choose whatever relationship is comfortable.
CALLIOPE: What's the likelihood of that?
JOE: Not so great, I'm afraid. Some people feel threatened by people messing with their institutions and cherished beliefs.
CALLIOPE: Any other thoughts on marriage?
JOE: I found a good brief history which gave me food for thought at www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/ATLAS_EN/html/history_of_marriage_in_western.html. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- The Word Marriage

(Wedding on the Veranda)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. You had more to say about marriage?
JOE: I did. It seems to me that the word itself is confusing the debate about who should be allowed to use the word "married."
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: Most people don't object to other than heterosexual couples having civil unions. They just object to calling it marriage.
CALLIOPE: I see. Civilly, Marriage refers to a legal union regardless of whether there is a religious ceremony.
JOE: Right. It also refers to a religious ceremony, regardless of whether it is legalized with the government.
CALLIOPE: So you can be married in the eyes of the government alone, a church alone or both.
JOE: Right. I think it's too much work for one word to do.
CALLIOPE: What would you call it then?
JOE: Good question. Reserving the word for people in one set of circumstances is likely to alienate everyone else. Maybe we need several words to make everyone's situation clear.
CALLIOPE: Is anybody even discussing this possibility?
JOE: Not that I know of. That's why I brought it up.
CALLIOPE: Do you think anyone else is interested in the issue?
JOE: Perhaps William Safire would be. I'll ask him. I'm not sure anyone else has the emotional energy to enter into such a debate. We shall see. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Arguing about Marriage

(Outside Marriage)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Raring to go.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you're charged up about something. Tell me about it.
JOE: Marriage has been on my mind.
CALLIOPE: Don't tell me you're getting married again.
JOE: Relax, No such plans are in the works.
CALLIOPE: What then?
JOE: Yesterday I read in the newspaper more about the ongoing debate over gay marriage and its implications.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: I realized the problem was one of semantics.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: Civil, legal, societal and religious views of marriage have become entangled the the point where people are talking about different things using the same word.
CALLIOPE: I see. What would you suggest?
JOE: It's time we had different terms for civil and religious views of marriage and what they imply. More tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good afternoon Joe. What happened to your schedule?
JOE: I got as far as writing in my journal and then got waylaid by a variety of tasks. I won't bore you with them, but I just came up for air.
CALLIOPE: I'm glad you decided to share your air with me. Did you write yesterday?
JOE: Yes. I did a chapter about my couple discussing how they would try to prevent further conflicts, at least of the recent magnitude.
CALLIOPE: Sounds conciliatory. What about your plan of balancing marketing and writing?
JOE: I had some time to think about it but I don't have a definite plan yet.
CALLIOPE: As I recall your first step was to decide on you audience and what might interest them.
JOE: I thought of a number of target audiences including those struggling with relationships, those thinking about marriage, readers who wonder why people stay together and why they don't.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a good start. What do you think these people are looking for? What would make them choose your novel about addressing marriage difficulties?
JOE: I guess I have to do some more research on that one.
CALLIOPE: Maybe some of your blog readers have some ideas about what would interest them. JOE: Good point. I'll keep my eyes open for replies.

(Wedding attendees)