You Down With Public Displays Of Connection?
VIDEO: Ask an African-American teenager whether or not they want to get married. Boy or girl, most likely their answer will be a resounding “No”. Why? Because, what they see of marriage and love in our community is not convincing, attractive or positive. My mentor ,Wedded Bliss Foundation , Executive Director, Nisa Muhammad says that “oftentimes we are not good advertisements for marriage.” We gripe more about the negatives than the positives. Our public display, more often than not, sends the message that we are tolerating each other versus the message that we love, adore, and respect each other.
QUESTION: Have you ever stopped to think about the image that you and your spouse project when you leave out of your front door every day? What does your public display say about you?
Can I just say that I LOVE that: PUBLIC DISPLAY OF CONNECTION!!
@Harriet I totally agree with the talk & walk it out. It is so necessary for our generation and the generations coming up & watching us.
This goes right in line with what I ask the couples that I deal with, “What is the billboard of your marriage saying to the world?”
My husband and I have a ball together! We laugh a lot, we honor one another, and we’re REAL about our love towards one another quite often. I just watched a panel where a black man was talking about how most of what he heard from married men was negative. He said in his experience, few black men were willing to discuss how happily married they were.
I think for both men and women, we need to be willing to both talk about it and walk it out in our lives. Public displays of connection need to be seen more often!
@ Ruby
i’m happy that you and your husband promote public displays of connection. Keep on keepin’ on.
This is a really,really very good article,when it come to our public display in the public eyesight,together we are so passion,we hold hand,when you’re in the store together,and we’re walking and we stop to look at something,he will put his arms around me,and everyone would stare at us,because of the age difference…that o.k…we value the images of our connection,the look we get from other,sometime we would be in a conversation with our friend,and someone would say…how you all do it,or i would want to be like you all,when i get older,or you look good for your age….it not a insult to us,because we are bless to be the age that we are….the marriage has been up and down,marriage for 15 years,seperate for 2, sleeping in seperate bedroom…but we still love each other dearly.and we will not go in the public display.and show nothing but the love connection that we have for each other….
@ Melissa
That’s an excellent point. I get a kick out of my sons trying to beat me up when I kiss there Mommy…and my daughters staring in admiration when I hold my Wife. I’m thankful that we have a beautiful representation of love to offer them.
I think the public display of connection is also very important for our children to see. Our children need to see that marriage is not only about being parents but also about love and affection that we share for one another.