by The Toady


Howdy, Pardners ...

Well, the big hub-bub out there these past few days is marriage. Or more correctly, divorce. A bunch of smart folks - who know about such things - are getting together and trying to figure out why so many divorces are happening here in America. Looks like over half the marriages are ending in divorce. Their conclusion? Getting a divorce is just too darned simple in most states.

Now, I'm not an expert on such things, but I'll offer an alternate conclusion ... Marriage is no longer the viable socioeconomic institution that it used to be. It ain't even a handy religious institution anymore (religious folks have a higher divorce rate than non religious folks). It got us through the Dark Ages, and through our agrarian periods, but it just ain't necessary in today's world. Not that I think marriage a bad thing ... I mean, Laura and I have been married for ... uh ...

(better get this right)

I know this. Gimme a minute ... uh ...

(he doesn't know. twenty bucks says he doesn't know)

(you're on!)

This ain't fair. You guys are putting too much pressure on me. Lemme see ... 2000 minus 1976 ... is ... uh ...

(are you sure it was 1976?)

Anywho ... continuing on with our conversation ... The way I see it, if you ...

(i told you he didn't know! gimme my twenty)

ANYWHO! ...

Relationships are odd these days. Folks wandering around... looking for that dream relationship... on their own terms, and only their terms. Not willing to give an inch. They've got a bunch of them Porter fellas running behind them, carrying their personal baggage. And they ain't gonna give up any of their baggage.

It's where we are. Our baggage is special, and we figure anybody we meet is just going to have to learn to deal with it. We never actually look at ourselves and say, "Maybe I should get over this." Nah. The only thing that makes us unique these days is how screwed up our emotions are. We drag our pain around like some kind of trophy.

It's like them fellas who show off their motorcycle accident scars. Like there's some sort of bravery and manliness associated with not being able to ride a motorcycle very well. I've never seen crashing and burning as an exceptional skill that needs to be passed on to the next generation, and if I were in a breeding sort of mind, I'd look for the motorcycle rider fella who didn't have any scars.

Whatever ... So folks these days - just like the motorcycle fellas - love to lovingly go over their emotional scars. Inch by inch ... relationship by relationship. Never thinking for a moment that they might need to improve their relationship riding skills ... expand their horizons a bit ... take a lesson or two.

Crash and burn ... Crash and burn... Crash and burn ...

You'd think they'd get tired of it, huh?

"Must be a defective motorcycle, because every time I try to ride it, I get a road rash the size of Texas, and a whole bunch of new scars."

Love the one you're with. Whether it's for five minutes, or fifty years. A fleeting glance across a restaurant... or being buried side by side. Don't matter. Enjoy it for the pure joy of it. And if you can only remember how the joy ended ... you missed the point, and you'll never experience the joy. Ever.

Have a day.

The Toady


© by Perotti & Smith Publishing, 2000. All Rights Reserved

Read more of Toady at The Morning Mail


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