10 Bad Excuses People Give For Not Wearing Their Wedding Rings
We're onto you.
getty There are men who don't wear wedding rings. Even some women. Some of them have never had a ring and some just choose not to encircle the fourth finger on their left hand with a hunk of precious or semi-precious metal.
I'm sure you know a few of them and their reasoning may even make sense. But a lot of the rationale doesn't really hold up in the light of day.
Here are the top ten excuses for not wearing a wedding ring after getting married, all of which are pretty awful:
1. Insurance is expensive and feels like a rip-off.
Don't laugh! I have a good friend who leaves her ring at home because she doesn't have insurance.
Uh, maybe you can just get a hold-me-over ring until you get around to calling Geico.
2. People won't hit on you if you wear one.
Old Frodo went all transparent when he popped the One Ring on. Some women (and like 5 men) feel like they've gone into stealth mode when donning wedding bands.
Scrubs is a big fan of this concept; even The Todd won't hit on a chick wearing a ring.
3. You hate wearing jewelry.
This mostly afflicts the dudes. There's something very foreign about wearing jewelry when you're used to riding naked-handed and some guys can't help but fiddle.
Get used to it. Hopefully, you'll be rocking this uncomfortable hunk of white gold for the rest of your natural life.
4. Your fingers don't fit.
This ring shrank. Nah, guy, your fingers just got chubbier. It's possible that you're retaining water if you're a woman.
It's OK; you can get that ring resized or go on a number of finger-specific diets like the Dr. Handkins, Knuckle Watchers, Jenny Carpal, and so on.
5. It's too much bling.
The Mafia don can't stand the sound of his pinkie ring tinkling against his wedding band, the winner of the 1992 Cotton Bowl doesn't want to dishonor his buddies by taking off his jewelry, and Sasha Fierce isn't removing that full-hand ring, no way, no how.
6. It's just not your thing.
Some men and women just don't like jewelry. They've never worn it, so why start now?
You'll have plenty of time to sacrifice when it comes time to save for college, braces, and whatever therapy comes from being the only family on the block whose parents didn't love each other enough to show the world their commitment.
Or you could get a tattoo of a wedding band and another that reads "[Insert Your Name] & [Insert Spouse's Nickname] 4-Ever" on your belly.
7. Your spouse doesn't wear theirs, so why wear yours?
"Fine, you may earn more money, but I get your idiot kids to school, clean, create all the meals, make sure the car doesn't miss an oil change, and seldom orgasm from sex, so where you at, big baller?"
From there it usually devolves into name-calling and exact accounting of what each member of the household contributes.
8. It doesn't hold any symbolism.
Did you read The Old Man And The Sea and come away with the feeling that Santiago was just an old man, the sea was just a big body of water, and the fish was just a fish? You're not alone.
Lots of people don't buy into the idea that a metal circle (with no beginning and no end) really means much. Those people are atheists and possibly swingers.
9. You can't perform your job with it on.
There are some jobs that make wearing a wedding band irresponsible, dangerous, and reckless. If a bandsaw could literally cut your hand off because it catches your ring, you don't have to wear it. Likewise, if you could end up leaving your ring inside of someone that you're operating upon, find a necklace for that sucker.
If your job involves giving massages (groin or regular), it's OK to keep your ring in a safe place and it'll help with tips. And if you're a married grifter but want to seem single to con a widow into giving you their savings, shame on you... and probably lose the ring.
The good news is, with all these jobs, you can wash your finger at the end of the day and then put a ring on it.
10. You have another woman/man on the side.
I understand that it might really bug your mistress to see you wave that ring under her nose, but as your girlfriend on the side, she's got to make some sacrifices. You're making some; you could be at home and stable and playing with your kids, but instead, you indulge every exciting whim of a woman whom you'll never love. Sacrifices.
The same goes for a second family in another part of town. They'll just have to deal with being number 2 (until your divorce goes through and your kids are grown, and then you can be together without all of the secrets and lies, of course).
Tom Miller is a writer and performer based in New York. He's been a mechanical engineer and a banker. He's been the general manager and coordinating video producer at YourTango for 12 years.