Date now, marry later

When I tell people I've been dating my boyfriend for nearly four years, I usually get one of two reactions.

Option 1: An exaggerated glance at my ring finger, followed by an adamant, "You better make him put a ring on it, girl!"

Option 2: A look of pity, accompanied by a melancholy, "Don't worry. I'm sure it'll happen some day."

Jealous?

USA Today has a slightly overdone trend piece about a growing tendency to date for a long time before getting engaged.

It attributes the decision to everything from financial concerns to a fear of divorce.

Extended courtships might be more common, but they're hardly the norm. Most of my female friends still have a three-year cutoff point for the pre-engagement phase of a relationship.

It's great to really know somebody before getting married, but relationships also get to a certain point where you just have to blindly jump in and decide if a future together will work.

Also, I think many women agree to an extended courtship simply because engagements are still an area in our dating culture where women are essentially powerless.

So please, indulge my naked ring finger with your best "Single Ladies" line.

I'm sure I've never heard it before.