Because Marriage then for me in the world of my youth was the god, the pinnacle and the end of waiting, and of wanting. Marriage for me and for millions like me was the happy ending for the first chapter. Marriage was bold, it was a public declaration, it was manly and honorable. It staked a sole claim. It was the end of adolescence. It was the mark of manhood. The real adventure started here. It was the biggest statement that the world could be shown how much your mother and I mattered to each other and that, then, mattered.

- Remember Me (Chapter Seven) by Melvyn Bragg