Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Blind Faith

I was looking down at my engagement ring the other day, and I had a strange thought: "How do I know that the diamond is real?" I mean, it looks really sparkly and all, but I am not a gemologist. I have seen quite a few diamonds, but I don't really know if they are real either.

It is not like in ninth grade science class, we were shown diamonds next to cubit zirconiums, and then had to figure out which was which. We did not learn that sort of thing in my high school. Of course, in high school, we dissected frogs, and if someone gave me a scalpel and a frog, I could not identify the frog's spleen from his gall bladder. And I could do that in high school. Okay, I really couldn't do it – biology was not my strong suit. But still, I can't identify (or grade) diamonds.

But I have a diamond on my finger, and I assume it is real. I believe this . . . on blind faith. And I really hope my husband bought me a real diamond. He was dirt poor at the time, and I know the ring cost more than two month's salary. Thanks De Beers diamonds, for all of your marketing.

Another thing.

When we bought our house, I signed a bunch of paperwork. And I read most of the paperwork – nearly all of it. But by the end of the closing, I did not know what I was signing. I can imagine, ten minutes after closing, that if zombies were to be coming out of the ground like daisies, we would have no recourse because I signed the "I take full responsibility for zombies" clause.

Every year . . . at least thirty people in Georgia purchase homes. Okay, pre-September thousands of people were closing monthly. But now . . . oh, where was I? The point is that a lot of people close on houses, and unless you are a real estate attorney, you probably don't know the ramifications for signing all of the documents. You sign, more or less, on blind faith.

Years ago, this would have freaked me out. Now, I am okay with it. I mean, we can't all be experts on everything. Sometimes we have to just accept that we should just stumble along as best we can . . . on blind faith.

14 comments:

Deb said...

Even when buying a car - you sign a ton of things too. We all can't be complete gurus at everything....you're absolutely right! OK...now I'm off to get this ring appraised.

LarryLilly said...

What sign do men get?

A verbal "Yes"?

talk about inflation.

Xmichra said...

I am one of the people you'd hate. i read thouroghly and question what i don't understand. heck i even decided to not buy a car because of he contract and we'd been there all day. I questioned a documen my husband wanted me to sign (he was being nice. it was to do with insurance not liking my weight), and i know my ring is real because i had it apprased (handed down ring though).

BUT, if my mother in law makes something and tells me to try it, i do. and that is saying alot... if you knew the relationship..lol ;)

Leesa said...

~Deb: You know what I mean . . .

Larry: and you get all the free engagement sex, too. That and the "yes".

Xmichra: I had my ring appraised, too. And the appraisal at the time seemed high. I did not trust the appraisal as well.

Vic said...

When it comes down to it, what do we really "know" except that which we deduce from our senses (and we know that they can be faulty at times)? Relationships, for example, are all based on blind faith - sometimes to great reward, other times to great disappointment.

And does it even mater if the diamond is not real? Is it not the thought, and the subsequent actions, that count?

Joe said...

Hold on...don't women get the engagement sex too? If you work out the cost against the price of the ring...

Leesa said...

acuity: relationships are not based on blind faith alone.

joe: if I were you, I would not do any such cost/benefit analysis that involves engagement rings and sex. Leads to less sex.

Anonymous said...

I think it has a lot to do with how much we know the other party or the party with the documents.

My grandmother used to tell me her dad went to the bank to get loans for the crops and they just shook hands.

I think I would have liked those days.

Adrianne said...
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Adrianne said...

If you are really in love it shouldn't matter about the ring. However I have heard a lot of horror stories about when people get divorced and when they try to sell the ring, and find out it wasn't what they thought.

I guess everyone goes on blind faith with things in their life. You never know if you don't take that chance.

Leesa said...

knot: Trust is difficult to gain but easy to loose.

ssc: Oh, I love the ring all right, and I am not thinking of selling it. It would be a disappointment for me if my husband, when he was young, spent all that time working for something that was more glass than diamond.

Awake In Rochester said...

If you want to know if it's a real diamond or not you could take it to a jeweler, and pretend that your thinking of selling it. They will look it over, and tell you everything wrong with it, and give you a very low price. But at lest you will know if it's real or not. Just don't let them go in the back and switch the stone on you. They should do everything in front of you.

Leesa said...

awake: I got it appraised years ago, and I think they would have said if it were a fake. But then you are trusting an appraiser or someone wanting to purchase the stone. You always have to rely on someone else's word.

Awake In Rochester said...
This comment has been removed by the author.