I would've skipped the expensive jewelry too... jenkitty flat-out told me after I popped the question that if I showed up with a diamond she was gonna dump me for being a spendthrift. OTOH, a lot of folk enjoy wearing *something* circular (ring, necklace, whathaveyou) as an outward token of partnership... the claddagh ring is pretty popular - and inexpensive, which appeals to those of a Celtic nature :)

But, yeah. Methinks there's a sea change that's been going on pretty much all our lives about the whole nature of partnerships, etc... and I for one think it's a good thing. The whole rock/no rock, kids/no kids, who-stays-at-home, who-does-the-cooking thing has become quite fluid... even down to my hopelessly white-bread sister and her hubby, who live not far from you... he's (a) going back to school and (b) does a fair bit of the cooking, having been a professional at it...

But the fact that one *can* chart one's own course is very much a goodness.