I want to begin my blog post today with a qualification. I say this because the news article I intend to reference is replete with implicit (and in my opinion, completely unnecessary) expletives. Such is life in the year of our Lord 2023. That being said, it is hoped that the reason I have chosen to cite the article will be self-evident.
The article, titled “Single Man ‘****Ing Traumatized’ After Girl Brings Two Surprise Guests to First Date: ‘Our Time Here Is Done’”, appeared on FoxNews.com.
According to the article…
A man describing a first date nightmare in a TikTok went viral, amassing over 20,000,000 views, because of the special guests that showed up at a restaurant with a girl named "Priyanka." The single, Zakir Siddiqui, describes himself as a ‘viral Indian man on TikTok with a black belt in first dates.’
In one of the stories he told, Siddiqui confessed it was a traumatizing experience. “I just went on a first date, and honestly I am f---ing traumatized,” Siddiqui said. Priyanka's bio on Bumble, an online dating app, said, "It's either this or an arranged marriage." Siddiqui took the description in stride, thinking it was a joke.
“So I thought it was funny, and I responded to her. So she's talking about her family. She's talking about her roots. And we both have something in common that both of our families are from parts of India.”
The two agreed to get Indian food for their first date. So I see her and she looks great. I give her a hug,” he said. Priyanka then gestured towards the restaurant. “She was walking in front of me, and she said, ‘This is where our table is.’ So we're walking towards our table. And I'm just following her… And I see two people that are sitting at our table.”
Siddiqui asked her why the table was occupied. “I'm like, uh, who's sitting at our table and there's a table of four here. And she's like, ‘Oh, this is my mom and my dad.’” Siddiqui kept it cool and greeted his date's parents. “Hello, how are you doing?” He admitted, however, “I was not prepared for this moment in life. There was no way that she had brought her mom and dad with her on the first date.”
He said at that point, he felt like giving up on dating entirely. “I'm like. That's it. This is my arranged marriage. I cannot hide from this moment in time. My love life expired there. There is officially an end to my dating career,” he said.
Siddiqui then described being questioned by the parents about what he does for a living and other biographical information. “Oh my God, is this an interrogation room or a date? I wasn't even sure,” he said. It didn't appear to him Priyanka's parents were satisfied with all of his answers.
“And I'm like, 'Oh, ****. I don't think this is going well at all.” Priyanka's father then asked, “Can you call your parents to come join us?” Siddiqui said his parents couldn't make it because they lived far away.
Reflecting on that moment, he said in an exasperated tone, “I thought this was a ****ing date with me and Priyanka and I had no idea that the parents were going to become involved. And we're going to arguably set up an arranged marriage on the first date!”
“So I was like, Oh, so sorry. Like my parents are, you know, aren't nearby, and they won't be able to make it… So then he said, okay, our time here is done, Priyanka, let's go.”
According to the reporter, Hannah Grossman, Siddiqui declined an interview for the article.
Now I will admit that I am not necessarily in favor of arranged marriages. Indeed, the only individual who should ever be in the business of arranging marriages is the Almighty Himself! And in my own case, I am very thankful He did.
I first met the young lady who was destined to be my wife back in the tenth grade. I was smitten by here at first sight. I immediately set about trying to obtain a date with her. It took me to the fourth time asking her before she finally said yes. In the meantime, she let me know that she could not go out with me without her parents’ permission. And she flooded me with a series of questions that were evidently designed to answer and/or assuage her parents’ concerns.
Our first date consisted of going to the Steak ‘n Shake after church on Sunday night. The next one consisted of a Friday night pizza and movie night. But this second one was not allowed to proceed until I first came to her house and met and conversed with her parents.
Evidently, I passed this interview, as our relationship was allowed to unfold. Thus far, that relationship has resulted in a soon-to-be 48 year bond, and along the way, was destined to produce three children, three children’s spouses, and (so far) seven grandchildren.
It also produced a solid respect for my wife’s parents on my behalf; as well as the same for mine on her behalf. So much so that I adopted the same approach as my father-in-law once did when my daughter first brought home a young man who was destined to become my son-in-law.
What is more, as the years have unfolded, I have repeatedly found myself walking a similar path to what my father-in-law walked before me. I have had to deal with my children as he did his. I have had to deal with their respective spouses as he did. I have had to deal with my grandchildren as he did his. And in each case, I have found myself asking e=what he would have done.
All of this is to say that I am glad that when I met the beautiful young lady who was to become my wife, I also met her parents. More to the point, in marrying her and making her my wife, I committed myself not only to her, but also to her parents. It was truly a package deal! And I am glad it was.
I can only hope that my own children-in-law (consisting of one son-in-law and two daughters-in-law) will see in me the same value I came to see in my own in-laws. And that they will embrace the fact that their marriage to our offspring was indeed a package deal.
In the New Testament Book of Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 2, the Bible tells us to honor our father and mother. Surely that includes the parents of our spouses as well as our own parents. For one cannot embrace a spouse without also embracing the ones that spouse holds dear. And this is especially true of father and mother-in-laws.
NEWS ITEM SOURCE:
https://www.foxnews.com/media/man-left-traumatized-after-girl-brings-two-surprise-guests-first-date-time-here-is-done.
SCRIPTURE SOURCE:
https://biblehub.com/ephesians/6-2.htm.
The article, titled “Single Man ‘****Ing Traumatized’ After Girl Brings Two Surprise Guests to First Date: ‘Our Time Here Is Done’”, appeared on FoxNews.com.
According to the article…
A man describing a first date nightmare in a TikTok went viral, amassing over 20,000,000 views, because of the special guests that showed up at a restaurant with a girl named "Priyanka." The single, Zakir Siddiqui, describes himself as a ‘viral Indian man on TikTok with a black belt in first dates.’
In one of the stories he told, Siddiqui confessed it was a traumatizing experience. “I just went on a first date, and honestly I am f---ing traumatized,” Siddiqui said. Priyanka's bio on Bumble, an online dating app, said, "It's either this or an arranged marriage." Siddiqui took the description in stride, thinking it was a joke.
“So I thought it was funny, and I responded to her. So she's talking about her family. She's talking about her roots. And we both have something in common that both of our families are from parts of India.”
The two agreed to get Indian food for their first date. So I see her and she looks great. I give her a hug,” he said. Priyanka then gestured towards the restaurant. “She was walking in front of me, and she said, ‘This is where our table is.’ So we're walking towards our table. And I'm just following her… And I see two people that are sitting at our table.”
Siddiqui asked her why the table was occupied. “I'm like, uh, who's sitting at our table and there's a table of four here. And she's like, ‘Oh, this is my mom and my dad.’” Siddiqui kept it cool and greeted his date's parents. “Hello, how are you doing?” He admitted, however, “I was not prepared for this moment in life. There was no way that she had brought her mom and dad with her on the first date.”
He said at that point, he felt like giving up on dating entirely. “I'm like. That's it. This is my arranged marriage. I cannot hide from this moment in time. My love life expired there. There is officially an end to my dating career,” he said.
Siddiqui then described being questioned by the parents about what he does for a living and other biographical information. “Oh my God, is this an interrogation room or a date? I wasn't even sure,” he said. It didn't appear to him Priyanka's parents were satisfied with all of his answers.
“And I'm like, 'Oh, ****. I don't think this is going well at all.” Priyanka's father then asked, “Can you call your parents to come join us?” Siddiqui said his parents couldn't make it because they lived far away.
Reflecting on that moment, he said in an exasperated tone, “I thought this was a ****ing date with me and Priyanka and I had no idea that the parents were going to become involved. And we're going to arguably set up an arranged marriage on the first date!”
“So I was like, Oh, so sorry. Like my parents are, you know, aren't nearby, and they won't be able to make it… So then he said, okay, our time here is done, Priyanka, let's go.”
According to the reporter, Hannah Grossman, Siddiqui declined an interview for the article.
Now I will admit that I am not necessarily in favor of arranged marriages. Indeed, the only individual who should ever be in the business of arranging marriages is the Almighty Himself! And in my own case, I am very thankful He did.
I first met the young lady who was destined to be my wife back in the tenth grade. I was smitten by here at first sight. I immediately set about trying to obtain a date with her. It took me to the fourth time asking her before she finally said yes. In the meantime, she let me know that she could not go out with me without her parents’ permission. And she flooded me with a series of questions that were evidently designed to answer and/or assuage her parents’ concerns.
Our first date consisted of going to the Steak ‘n Shake after church on Sunday night. The next one consisted of a Friday night pizza and movie night. But this second one was not allowed to proceed until I first came to her house and met and conversed with her parents.
Evidently, I passed this interview, as our relationship was allowed to unfold. Thus far, that relationship has resulted in a soon-to-be 48 year bond, and along the way, was destined to produce three children, three children’s spouses, and (so far) seven grandchildren.
It also produced a solid respect for my wife’s parents on my behalf; as well as the same for mine on her behalf. So much so that I adopted the same approach as my father-in-law once did when my daughter first brought home a young man who was destined to become my son-in-law.
What is more, as the years have unfolded, I have repeatedly found myself walking a similar path to what my father-in-law walked before me. I have had to deal with my children as he did his. I have had to deal with their respective spouses as he did. I have had to deal with my grandchildren as he did his. And in each case, I have found myself asking e=what he would have done.
All of this is to say that I am glad that when I met the beautiful young lady who was to become my wife, I also met her parents. More to the point, in marrying her and making her my wife, I committed myself not only to her, but also to her parents. It was truly a package deal! And I am glad it was.
I can only hope that my own children-in-law (consisting of one son-in-law and two daughters-in-law) will see in me the same value I came to see in my own in-laws. And that they will embrace the fact that their marriage to our offspring was indeed a package deal.
In the New Testament Book of Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 2, the Bible tells us to honor our father and mother. Surely that includes the parents of our spouses as well as our own parents. For one cannot embrace a spouse without also embracing the ones that spouse holds dear. And this is especially true of father and mother-in-laws.
NEWS ITEM SOURCE:
https://www.foxnews.com/media/man-left-traumatized-after-girl-brings-two-surprise-guests-first-date-time-here-is-done.
SCRIPTURE SOURCE:
https://biblehub.com/ephesians/6-2.htm.