Lots of drama this summer happening outside of the movie theater. There’s the ugly Christie Brinkley/Peter Cook divorce proceedings, the whole Madonna/A-Rod/Guy Ritchie/Lenny Kravitz/Cynthia Rodriguez debacle (everyone of course is denying everything), and we just found out that Drew Barrymore has split with her boyfriend Justin Long, best known for his Apple Computer ads. So much for summer lovin’.
According to a piece by Maureen Down, NY Times Op-Ed columnist, there is such a thing as an ideal husband. Just ask Father Pat Connor, a 79-year old priest based in New Jersey, who tries to dispense advice to those about to take the plunge. True, he’s never been married, but his words echo of mostly good, old-fashioned common sense when it comes to making one of the biggest decisions of your life.
The first thing he points to is getting married because you’re in love. Bad idea says Connor, “Infatuation trumps judgment,” He also warns against marrying a man who has no friends, lets you treat him like a doormat and is overly attached to his mother. What qualities should you look for in a potential spouse? Sense of humor can cover lots of daily annoyances. Also, says Connor, does this person have the qualities that add up to a good human being?
I love this kind of advice (of course I could have used it about 14 years ago) but it truly hits home. I buy into pretty much everything the priest says and admire the fact that he goes around to high schools giving a lecture called “Whom not to Marry.” Even if you hit all of his points, marriage is a tough condition. There’s no denying it. Even with a sense of humor and a good person, it can still take loads of patience and persistence to get through each day.
