I met Rick Marchitian at on Honolulu Avenue on a sunny Saturday afternoon following my pretend that I never seem to go to. He struck me as cool, outgoing and relaxed. But then I found out he was married. He agreed to sit down and have a chat with me about love and the meaning of life. But instead we discussed the perils and pitfalls of going on a few test drives before the long, never ending road of marriage. Here is one dignified gent that insists it is better to be single and happy than marry too early and be miserable.
Name: Rick Marchitian
Age: 48
Occupation: Photographer
Current Location:
Relationship Status: Married
Interested In: A happily ever after with a non-drinker
How long have you lived here?
Almost three years now. My place is right over here in La Crescenta.
What do you do for a living?
I’m a photographer.
What do you shoot?
Landscapes. Trees. Water. Ocean. Anything architecturally interesting that tells a story on its own. But I won’t shoot people.
No? Why not?
I hate people.
Really?
Yeah. They’re a pain. Trees don’t talk back, they don’t move. They’re easy. If I took your picture right now, you’d probably complain about it.
That’s not all I would complain about.
I had a friend that wanted me to take pictures of his and the kid was not very cute. There was nothing I could do.
Except not be judgmental.
Right. Except that.
Recently married you say?
Yup.
Lucky gal. Let’s hope your kids are cute, eh? How did you two meet?
A matchmaker fixed us up. She ran a company called “It’s Just Lunch.”
Is that online?
No. It’s a personal service. They set you up to meet in person after they know all of their clients one-on-one.
Sounds expensive.
It was. They put you with somebody. I have no choice. No photos, nothing.
Did you hit it off on the first date?
Sort of. She called the service the next day and complained that they fixed her up with a gay guy.
(gasps) No way. You do sort of seem gay, though.
Well, apparently.
And then what?
They called me and said there was a little confusion as to my sexual preference. I told them I wasn’t confused. I called to arrange the second date and she met me at an that I worked at in La Crescenta, which made it worse because it made me look even more gay. I was dressed “artsy,” which also looked gay. I think she was convinced I was gay. Not really even sure how she got over the gay thing.
What three qualities are most important to you in a ?
Sincerity.
Like authenticity?
Yeah. Like someone who is not fake. Loyalty is also good. You can tell by their friends if they are a loyal person. And honesty would be the last. That’s pretty much it.
Does your wife have all three?
Yeah. That’s why it took me so long to get married. I wanted to choose the right one.
Now, because this is rare that I interview married man, I have to ask if you had any dating stories prior to matrimonial bliss.
I think it’s fair to say that my basic dating fiascos before my wife were more or less nightmarish on a continual basis. But I have an ex-girlfriend who seemed to have it all. She was a lawyer, smart, pretty. But turns out she was an alcoholic and she ended up in rehab. But not before she made my life hell.
How so?
My family had a dinner party for me one night at and she had left to go to the bathroom, but somehow ended up at the bar and the owner came up to me after some time had passed. And I went over to her and she was completely trashed and drinking alcohol off of other people’s tables. She was just walking up to people and drinking their .
That’s a clue.
And one night I got a call from the saying they found her car alongside a freeway and she was walking in the center lane. She had pulled over to the side after she realized she was going the wrong way on the 210.
That’s scary.
Needless to say, that relationship didn’t go too well.
Any advice for ?
Waiting to get married later in life was the best thing I ever did. There is a lot of pressure when you’re young to get married, have kids and do what is supposedly expected of you. Everyone is under pressure because it’s the norm and people want to be normal.
Are you normal?
Not really.
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