Before I got married, I wanted to live forever

After 20 years of marriage, the question eventually arises: “Is that all there is? And how much longer will this last?” What remains of one’s own dreams when your spouse has only one thing left to say: “Take your pills.” The secret to a happy marriage apparently remains just that: a secret. Otherwise, after all, it wouldn’t be called “getting married,” but “knowing marriage.”

Everyone knows what relationship fatigue feels like: After ten years, you look helplessly into your partner’s face and think, “Before we got married, I wanted to live forever.” Almost everyone once had a vision of a happy, fulfilling life—but what’s left of it? At 25, you marry someone who sweeps you off your feet…—and at 45, you realize: It worked.

So, given the high divorce rates, is marriage a thing of the past? Or are being single, one-night stands, and cheating apps really better alternatives? Perhaps the old institution of marriage can be modernized. For men today, for example, it matters less whether a woman can cook—what’s more important is that she doesn’t know a good lawyer. And men have long known: Whoever’s on top has to do the dishes. The main thing is that the relationship stays balanced: One is right, the other is the husband.

“Before Marriage, I Wanted to Live Forever,” written by Stephan Bauer, is a declaration of love for marriage.

Performed by Maximilian Nowka, known for *Have You Ever Been in Love with Me?* and *The Captain of Köpenick*.

IN GERMAN