SilverTurtle -
Your post was right on. I was being tongue-in-cheek with my last comment, but I forget that that's hard to convey on a message board!
I understand your opinions on the lavaliere/engagement ring issue. Personally, I will expect an engagement ring when it is time, because to me it is more indicative of the commitment - it is a token of the promise of marriage. It doesn't have to be about showing possession (after all, it can always be removed at will!), and it doesn't have to be one-sided. I have lots of girlfriends who, after becoming engaged, bought a special and symbolic ring for their fiance, to return the tangible gesture of the promise they made.
Then again, I firmly believe that these tokens and their meanings (whether pinning, engagement ring, etc.) are a cultural thing. I'm from a region where the traditions and perceived women's roles are more conservative and old-school (or chauvinistic and repressive, depending on your take).
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