Mexican here who grew in a rural town.

When one of my aunts was about to get married it (lets call her Ca) caused stir on my mom side of the family because Ca was pretty and everyone hoped she would marry someone rich instead of a guy who drove a bus for living, lets call him Pb

Well since my mom was the eldest daughter she had to intervene, there was a meeting with my mom, my dad (acting as the elder brother since the actual elder brother was younger than Ca), my grandma, the Pb, the Pb mom and the Pb younger sister and of course Ca.

I was there too because Ca was my nanny and she had to be present there.

Everyone there (specially my dad) ran an entire background on Pb, his studies, career, future promotions, previously held positions, gross income, net income, family inheritance, properties, investments, everything you can imagine so they could agree to let him marry Ca. Even Pb mom and younger sister were riding him because he was the main provider for both of them and now he was supposed to provide Ca with a life meant for a model.

I was young and only heard glimpses but still it got deep into my mind that this is what marriage means for men. My dad probably went through the same when he wanted to marry my mom, my fathers father probably did too and it was inevitable that this will be my destiny.

A couple weeks later another of my mom sisters wanted to marry (lets call her Rc) and the same show ensued. Rc was not as pretty, she was actually kind of ugly but Pb2 ensued he would provide the same life quality as was promised for Ca.

Even Pb participated and enumerated everything he had promised to give to Ca.

So this is like a cycle of mysery, men turned miserable by being mules for women which in turn make other guys miserable helping them become mules for women.

So guys really when someone ask "when will you get married?" "when will you have kids?" what they are actually asking is "when will you be as miserable as we are?"