Michael Ealy Reveals Why He Decided To Get Married

**cues “We ain’t getting no younger, we might as well do it!”**

Back in 2012, when news dropped that Michael Ealy ran off and got hitched, you could almost hear millions of hearts around the world break in an instant. But if you listen to why he decided to put a ring on it, you can’t help but respect a man who realized it was time to hold on to his woman for life.

In his new cover story in the latest issue of Rolling Out Magazine, Michael reveals that although he didn’t marry what he would consider “his type,” jumping the broom was a well thought out mature decision after four years in a relationship with his girlfriend Khatira Rafiqzada.  For Michael, he realized that it wasn’t about trying to live up to the romance in the movies. He found a woman he wanted to spend his life with and wifed her up.

On why he decided to get married
Well, you know me, and you know that I am an extremely private person. But what I can say is that I’m not a young cat anymore. I’ve gone through my share of relationships [...]. I can relate to Danny in [About Last Night], because I was him. So when I watched the film I was so happy that I had matured beyond that point in my life.

Don’t get me wrong; marriage opens up an entirely different can of worms as it pertains to your evolution as a man. I’ve found that for me, the timing of it was right … that’s all that I can really say. And that’s a personal decision that was not made in haste, because we were together for four years. But when you find someone — and that’s something that is very hard to do … but when you find someone that you actually want to spend the rest of your life with, you have to go for it. I was just very lucky that the stars lined up for me.
On his advice to men who are apprehensive about taking the next step
While, I don’t consider myself a person that should write a book, or give advice on relationships, what I will share is my personal perspective. What helped me along the way was I had two personal friends of mine whose fiancés died. And I went through a personal struggle where my father got really sick, and I spent a week with him … and it just dawned on me that we don’t have as much time as we think. And when you’re done playing games, and you find someone who has qualities that are much more practical as opposed to romanticized ideals, then you’ve got to hold on to them.
People think that you’re supposed to marry your type … well, I didn’t marry my type. It’s much more practical, and based in a day-to-day existence. So when you have that, and you’re happy, and you love her, don’t waste time. Because time — and I’ve learned that at this point in my life — time is my most precious commodity. Nothing is more precious than time. Because when it runs out … that’s it.