by Niken Paramita

Created on: October 17, 2009   Last Updated: October 18, 2009

Why people divorce? Why is there a word called divorce, anyway? I always found this breaking-up concept as silly, ill-founded, and selfish. However, after going through a two-year marriage myself, I begin to understand why certain couples can easily decide to take a break from their legal relationship, while the others defend their marital status to death. Not that I am thinking about being divorced, though.

Now, let's first take a look at a little bit of statistics. According to divorcerate.org, couples at age 20 to 24 years old have the highest percentage of divorce, 36.6% of them are women and 38.8% of them are men. Also, the divorce rate in America for first marriage is 41% while that for third marriage is 73%.

What about Asian countries? Once considered conventional, now Asian couples tend to be more tolerant, sometimes loose, toward the concept of relationship and marriage. BBC in its website reported that divorce rate in China mounts as high as 20%, while nowpublic.com stated that in 2008 the divorce rate in Indonesia is the highest in Asia Pacific, as much as 200 thousand per year.

So why in the world those once vowed pairs decide to give it up?

First thing coming to my mind is infidelity. Hell, you have said those promises, for God's sake! For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part. Remember? As much as you hate the situation, you can not dump the commitment away that easy.

Second thing that breaks up the knot is the involuntarily sinking boat of romance. On wedding day and in honeymoon euphoria, love is really in the air. Romantic, passionate words and actions are available twenty four-seven. However, when it's all done, the next hours and days do not always give comfortable and happy moment. Going back to work, facing the credit card bills, taking care of always-howling-and-peeing baby, and having a word with the in-laws can make someone feel exhausted and low. If both wife and husband are having a bad day and they keep frowning at home, fights will occur. Instead of getting the loving moment, they will only surround the house with negativity.

This can partly lead to the next issue of marriage, which is domestic violence. Difficult times, added by rude manner and/or deviant behavior performed either by husband or wife will result in verbal, physical, and sexual violence. A relative of my mother passed away due to non-stop deviant sexual intercourse by her husband. Every

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