This story is just perfect. It just so perfectly represents where we’re at as a culture right now.

With the institution of marriage being bent and misshaped into meaninglessness, a woman has unintentionally captured the zeitgeist of our time. If I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought she was doing this to reveal the stupidity of everyone else. Unfortunately, it seems she was just revealing her own ignorance so it’s a little less fun. But only a little.

A North Dakota yoga instruction and single mother has married herself.

Inforum reports:

Nadine Schweigert says her wedding went so perfectly that it left her in awe.

The bride wore a long, satiny dress in peacock blue and carried a cluster of white roses. Schweigert’s best friend stood up for her. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed white wedding cake enrobed in peacock-blue fondant and New Orleans-style king cake.

The affair was missing just one, teensy detail: a groom.

In a purely symbolic ceremony, the 36-year-old “married” herself before a crowd of 45 friends and family members Saturday at Ecce Gallery in Fargo.

During the observance, the Fargo woman read her vows: “I, Nadine, promise to enjoy inhabiting my own life and to relish a lifelong love affair with my beautiful self.” She presented herself with a ring and invited all guests to “blow kisses to the whole world” at the point of the traditional, bride-groom lip-lock.

“I’m very proud of it, and I feel very good about it,” says Schweigert, who works at Swanson’s Health and teaches yoga. “I’m so glad I did it.”

The fact that she works at a yoga spa really just clinches it, doesn’t it?

The article goes on with all sorts of blather about accepting yourself for who you are that’s become the bedrock of a billion dollar therapy industry over the past few decades.

And don’t think this woman is alone. This kind of thing is growing increasingly popular with the New Age set. And why shouldn’t it? So many see marriage as a what can you do for me proposition. And as soon as they’re not getting what they want out of it, it’s time to hit the road. In a way, that’s marrying yourself anyway because the other person is simply there to ensure your self marriage goes well.

Now, as is so often true, the one person who speaks any sense in these kinds of things are the children.

Schweigert’s 11-year-old son also didn’t like the idea.

“Initially his response was to put his hand on my shoulder. He said, ‘I love you, but I’m embarrassed for you right now and I’m not coming,’ ” she says.

My goodness. That 11 year old nailed it. Now, of course, the kid did come to his mother’s big event but you’ve gotta’ love that honest reaction. You’ve also got to feel for the kid. It seems almost like he’s the parent and she’s the kid.

Folks sometimes ask me why I have any hope that America can pull up out of this death spiral it’s currently enjoying. And you want to know why? It’s 11 year old’s like this who see the consequences of the ego fetish so many adults languish in. And they reject it.