I am a traditionalist and I seem to find myself in a tiny minority. Sometimes it feels like a minority of one, though I know that there must be a few others who share my views.

There has been a tremendous Leftward shift in many public attitudes over the past 20 years or so, with homosexuality being one of the most notable changes. I have been shocked and mystified by this shift. Within my adult lifetime, we’ve gone from widespread condemnation of homosexuality itself to widespread condemnation of opposition to homosexuality. This seems to have happened even on the political Right, among people who consider themselves conservatives, including many of you, dear readers.

Fourteen years ago today. It was a Sunday. A beautiful, young nurse became so fed up with the dating life that she let her father walk her down the aisle aboard the Tall Ship Silva in Halifax Harbour. There she stood, never looking more gorgeous in her flowing white wedding gown, in front of a socially awkward, unemployed former lawyer three years her senior. Ignoring her father’s offer to steal a lifeboat and bring her back to shore, she married him.

That loser found a job a few months after the wedding. It was a really bad job, terrible hours, little pay, soul-crushing work. But within weeks of starting, he got a slightly better job with a much better company. A couple of months later, he got a better job within the company and the news that the beautiful young nurse was now expecting a child. Two promotions followed in rapid succession and by the time that child was born (six weeks premature), that nurse’s husband had a job he could be proud of.