How Many Goats? Marriage in Kenya

“How many goats does your father want?” became a common question in my East African wanderings. At first I took the question in jest, pretended to call my father, and ask. He’d always respond with an astonishing number- say 1500, or 2,00, depending on the day.

When a Kenyan police officer asked me how many goats did my father want,  I became concerned. How many goats, indeed was I worth? Could you put a cost on love?I laugh now about my goat offers in Kenya. But it leaves me with a deeper question. How do you measure love? What qualities of love does my fiance see in me?

If you’d go on the goat scale, I’m worth a lot.  Let’s see: a MA, a full time job, and a beautiful body all averaged out to an above average dowry. Yet these are all attributes that could diminish with time and old age.But then again, some of these same qualities I first saw in my lover. Handsome, articulate, and passionate. But  these qualities may fade or grow with the given year. I think the Kenyan perspective on love brings a good lesson of community and recognition for a bride’s worth.

So, maybe I should tell my dad to start that goat pen in the back yard.

Image via Wikipedia