I was with the same man for eight years, six of it were pretty good, two I wish I could forget, but overall we parted on fairly good terms. I think I wanted to be married because I thought I had to be married and have children, etc. I worked my butt off in college because I wanted to have a good professional career that paid well, I dated men but realized they had no long term potential and I met someone who was nice to me, treated me well, was decent and compassionate. We had a good time together without all the fluff. I thought, "why not get married?". In a way I felt that getting marriage would authenticate me as a woman - oh so much I have learned.
I think it says something pretty interesting in this society when there are more non-married couples than married for the first time. I have always admired people like my grandparents that have been married for over 63 years, but I sometimes don't think people in my generation (Generation X) believe too much in those type of relationships.
I won't say I am gun shy about getting married, but I don't have any illusions or delusions about it. It really is just a piece of paper and some insurance and property value and tax deductions, everything else you don't need the government to give their stamp of approval. I am in no rush to get married again, and if it never happened again, I would be okay with that. I think more about finding love and companionship with the right person. Anyone can settle down with the wrong person and try to force a life. How many "wrong someones" do I meet in the course of a week and I know pretty quickly where it will go? I honestly think more about having children than I think about finding a romantic partner. I just don't feel rushed about it, although I do love the male species, I am doing okay by myself. When it happens, I will deal with it realistically, not like some fantasy story book romance novel nonsense.