When I was in elementary and secondary school, I always figured I'd be married by the time I was 21. When I was 21 I figured by 26. Now I'm 28 years old, and I don't have a date (by which I figure I'll be married, that is). Sure I want to find my soulmate. More than anything else maybe, but marriage is no longer one of those benchmarks like getting a masters degree or buying a house, by which I mark the future path of my life.

Yesterday, Emily passed along an article she found on ABC News, talking about "urban tribes" and marriage trends. This story absolutely hits my nail on the head. Clusters of friends make up my life, and give it meaning, to the point where having a spouse isn't a requisite for personal happiness.

I wonder how much the car, the phone, urban overcrowding, and the Internet have to do with this trend? Where your friends used to be those who lived near you, now the umbrella is so much bigger. I actually believe my friends are the result of a dragnet through the SF Bay and Sacramento, instead of people in my dorm hall. Maybe that's why I cherish them so much.