Get drunk alone and think stupid thoughts.
You see, I, too, have finally begun to consider marriage, after 35 years of not really thinking about it as something for the "likes of me".
It seems all it took to change my mind was to find the right person (which unfortunately happens to be the 18-year old daughter of my best friend, whom I first met when she was 13).
I know some of you might find it a tad, hm, worrisome that I would think that the best match for a 35 year old man would be an 18 year old girl, but I'm no ordinary 35 year old man, and she is no ordinary 18 year old girl. I truly recognized in her what might as well become a true marriage of minds (she's an adorable dork: brainy, a bit clumsy and as cute as a bunch of ducklings who got confused and ended up in a queue at Starbucks with everybody going "Aww..."). And I just really really would like to, like, show her stuff [1]. You may think I'm taking the piss, but I've always had the pedagogical strain in me (always talking about teaching kids in poor communities to read and write etc). Also it seems her mother is raising her to fear, hate and loath all men (based on her own miserable experience with the girl's dad - my friend) and I really would like to help her with that because that sort of emotions are just baad, 'mkay?
That's not even... that's not even how marriages work, or what they're about! Why is my brain so dumb?
[1] If anyone mentions that I could always "show her stuff" without marrying her, I will find you, and gnaw on your face.