Thus goes the succinct wisdom of Tom Arnold, playing the role of secret agent “Gib” in the 1994 Schwarzenegger blockbuster, True Lies. [1] “Do you dance, Ms. Skinner?” [2] But the “in”-“sanity” that’s really moving me here came some 31 years earlier. The first chapter in Mr. Arnold’s autobiography is titled, “Daddy, Did You Ever Have a Real Mommy?” Riveting pages describe his parents’ divorce. He was four years old. [3] It’s not a story for the faint of heart. Then again, divorce stories never are. And don’t let your guard down if you make it through this first “gut-wrenching”… Continue Reading…
November 8, 2004
With a spread titled, “Let’$ Make a Deal,” the latest Psychology Today asks: “Does a prenuptial agreement sow the seeds of divorce or provide a crash course in conflict resolution?” [1] Nice postscript to my November 3 blog. It’s a point/counter-point piece that strongly lays out both sides of the argument — but draws no conclusion. That’s still up to you. “Till Debt Do Us Part” is the cover feature. There’s also a fascinating bit of research out of the University of Warwick that puts dollar values on various elements of a “committed relationship.” “Touch,” for example, is worth $26,000… Continue Reading…
November 3, 2004
Halloween may be over, but prenuptial agreements never seem to go out of style when it comes to sending re-marriage chills down the spine. Three years ago this topic was hotly debated in a support group I was leading. We had some 16 participants that evening when a man at the end of a long table took one point of view, and a woman at the furthest other end took the extreme opposite position. They argued passionately for the better part of two solid hours — and no one ever found peace. Come to think of it, I can’t say… Continue Reading…
October 28, 2004
It used to be that Las Vegas held the name brand in quick divorce. Sure, “love takes time,” but isn’t there some dot-com where people can double-click to delete it? Here in Michigan there is a minimum 60-day waiting period before a divorce can be granted. Perhaps euphemistically, this is commonly referred to as a “cooling off period.” Translation: “Time allotted to consider reconciliation.” [1] But is that all—? You don’t need to sell me on the rightness of your decision to divorce. I hear you when you say that your heart and mind have been moving unretreatingly down this… Continue Reading…