Part 58
I'm now on a new chapter called "Freedom"
"Women are like tricks by sleight of hand,
which to admire, we should not understand."
— William Congreve—1692
The first subchapter I'm on is called "The Lesson"
Q. I was wiped out in my divorce. Is there
anything good about that?
A. A dog that chases cars and only gets
nicked will be back for more. A dog that is
slammed to the pavement and injured may
learn his lesson. The fellow who skates
through his divorce, escaping relatively
unscathed, often doesn't learn. He returns for
a rematch, sometimes several, until he is
physically and financially devastated. Don't
dot the landscape, as many do, with failed
marriages and broken families. Savor your
opportunity to learn the first time; don't
repeat mistakes.
The next subchapter I'm on is called "Repeat Performances"
Q. Who remarries? Idiots?
A. Two basic types of men come back for
seconds. One is Mr. Nice Guy. He just can't
believe that other people aren't as loving and
ingenuous as he is. When he hears about a
particularly nasty divorce, he automatically
assumes there are facts justifying the vindictiveness
of the female. He can't imagine it
happening to him. The second type is the man
who HAS TO BE MARRIED. He is a custodial
case, unable to function without a
woman occupying a position of power in his
life. This is due to his religion, upbringing,
or other deep rooted motivation for him to
marry. You will sometimes encounter this individual
on the threshold of another wedding.
He presents a pathetic, even false cheerfulness.
He is beyond the point of no return—
again—and his eyes are glassed over. Advice
would neither be welcomed nor heeded. He
will soon have another monster in his home
and is doomed to a lifetime of subjection and
acquiescence.
The next subchapter I'm on his called "Odds"
Q. What are my chances of recovery from a
divorce?
A. Your chances improve by coming out of a
short marriage, being young, having good
earning potential, no children, no other
divorces, and a good working perception of
predatory females. Your chances decrease
with your being old, retired, married a long
time, having limited earning potential, being a
victim of other marriages and lacking a proper
perception of predatory females. The longer
your unprotected, uneducated exposure to
predatory females continues, the greater
disaster may befall you.
