Then Why Don't You Marry It? Durham, N.C., That Is?

One of my favorite ways to tease my two daughters is with the classic "Then why don't you marry it?" formulation. As in:

Daughter #1: I love this book! 

Me: Then why don't you marry it?

Daughter #2: I love pizza!

Me: Then why don't you marry it?

And so on. The older my daughters get, the easier it is to annoy them with this; from my point of view, it's what leadership and management consultants call a win-win. So imagine my joy when my colleague Barbara Palmer alerted me to the fact that it's not just me who gets a kick out of this. There's also the entirety of Durham, N.C., where a volunteer-led event called Marry Durham is offering residents to prove their love by joining the city in holy matrimony next Saturday, March 19 -- as a way to raise money for five local nonprofits.

From the website: "On Saturday, March 19, 2011, Marry Durham is inviting all who love Durham to join us in a mass civil union, a parade, and a reception to affirm our dedication and devotion to the Bull City. Our vows will include commitments to keeping our streets clean and safe, protecting our natural resources, shopping locally, supporting the arts and local non-profit organizations, cherishing diversity, and electing responsible leaders."

Can I just say, I love the idea behind Marry Durham so much, I want to marry it.