{"id":16,"date":"2006-06-05T10:11:51","date_gmt":"2006-06-04T22:11:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.000relationships.com\/towomen\/live\/2006\/06\/01\/amen-to-this\/"},"modified":"2006-06-01T10:16:36","modified_gmt":"2006-05-31T22:16:36","slug":"amen-to-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.000relationships.com\/towomen\/live\/2006\/06\/05\/amen-to-this\/","title":{"rendered":"Amen to this!"},"content":{"rendered":"

“I got a natural appetite suppressant: 25 years of marriage.”<\/p>\n

–Al Bundy<\/em><\/p>\n

Al Bundy.  <\/span>Is there any other character out there who better embodies the freedom a man dreams of, from both wife and kids?<\/p>\n

It’s no wonder a character like Bundy became so popular.  <\/span>As men, we’re all too aware of the “scheming” women out there–"the redheaded beast," as Al calls Peg.  <\/span>The women who lure us, trap us, fool <\/em>us into doing the one thing we fear most.  <\/span>The women who have only one goal on their minds, and who are going to do everything possible to achieve it: move in, miss the pill, kickstart the planning with their friends…Yes, we’re talking about the women who want nothing more than a WEDDING.  The ring of death.  <\/span>The end <\/em>that is marriage, achieved by the means <\/em>of capturing us poor, pitiful guys.<\/p>\n

Not every guy minds the idea of marriage (hey, I finally caved in myself), but what we DO loathe is the idea that some woman is going to capture <\/em>us, trick <\/em>us into ending our single lives…and forever living the married life.  <\/span>That somehow, marriage won’t be a happily-made choice, but a forced-down-our-throat extortion.  <\/span>Instead of deciding ourselves, the decision is made for us.  <\/span>And worse, with the nightmarish “bridezillas” out there, the fun is OVER: no more nights out with the boys, no more late-night sports, no more non-stop partying.  <\/span>It’s not “happily ever after”, but “MISERABLY ever after”!<\/p>\n

Fortunately, attitudes like this ARE changing.  <\/span>This kind of womanly thinking is what’s known as “the old rules”.  <\/span>According to relationship expert, Dr. Barbara DeAngelis, the OLD rule was that, “The goal of a woman’s life is to find a man and get married”.  <\/span>We’ve all seen it.  <\/span>The girls who want nothing more than a MAN, a MAN that’s HERS forever.  <\/span><\/em>I automatically think of this girl Melanie I went to school with in the 8th<\/sup> grade.  <\/span>From the EIGHTH GRADE, all the way to high-school GRADUATION, ALL she could talk about was getting married and having kids!  <\/span>Little wonder that the guy she dated in the 11th<\/sup> grade—who she absolutely slaved over–moved back to his native country in the 12th<\/sup> grade!<\/p>\n

But thankfully, there are<\/em> some sane woman, like Dr. DeAngelis.  <\/span>Her book, “The Real rules: How to Find the Right <\/em>Man for the Real <\/em>You” is one that we guys should pray ALL girls read!  <\/span>For her, the real rules “won’t just teach you how to get a man—they’ll teach you how to get the right <\/em>man.”  <\/span>Phew!  <\/span>So we’re not all just targets simply because we’re men.  <\/span><\/p>\n

She also has four “Laws of Love”.  <\/span>The first one is great: “The purpose of your life isn’t<\/strong> to get married.  <\/span>The purpose of your life is to grow into the most loving, fulfilled, real <\/em>woman you can be.”  <\/span>  <\/span>Amen to that!  <\/span>Even better is the third Law: “Once you have found the right <\/em>man, the goal shouldn’t be getting him to make the ultimate commitment, but rather, creating a healthy, loving, mutually respectful real <\/em>relationship.”  <\/span>Building a solid relationship before even thinking about marriage?  <\/span>Who can argue with that!  <\/span>Praise the Lord!<\/p>\n

There’s more.  <\/span>Listen to all these wonderful chapter titles in Dr. Angelis’ book:<\/p>\n