| The
other day, a friend mentioned some relatives that recently
divorced.
"He
cheated on her after 37 years of marriage." She said
this with such disgust.
Why
is it so bad? Or so much worse than if he had cheated on her
after, say, 20 years of marriage? Or after just a year?
If
the man had been faithful and true to his wife for 37 years,
should he not get some credit for that? Does one indiscretion
wipe out all of the self-control he has exhibited over the
years?
However,
had he cheated on her at their reception... in the first month...
in the first year of marriage, I believe the same level of
disgust would be held by many.
So,
the question is, what is the bottom of the curve of disgust...
or the higest point of acceptability? When is the sweet-spot
for cheating on your wife? At what point would we say "well,
it could have been worse, they could have been married for
longer/shorter when he cheated."
-----------
I
missed a pill a couple months ago.
Were
getting "fixed" not such horribly invasive and somewhat
hazardous surgery, I would have had it done years ago. Instead,
my religion is taking a few moments every day around 8:00
p.m. to take my pill. I live in terror of becoming pregnant.
In fact, for a time in my early adolesence, I feared immaculate
conception. Not rational, admittedly... but no one would ever
claim I don't worry enough.
So
when I realized my recent error, I immediately visited the
pharmacy to get Plan B. I wanted to ensure if there
was potential within me, it would not have a chance to inplant
itself. And if it were to inplant, I would want to know within
days that I needed to take further steps before the month
was through.
I feel a strong responsiblity to snuff out such potential
before it can become viable. It seems to me the longer you
let something like that fester, the worse it is. The mere
passage of time gives it more potential.
When
children die in their youth, people mourn what could have
been. "They had so much potential." For some reason
shooting 15 year old seems far worse than a 19 year old.
What
does the "potential" curve look like for a human
being? From fertilization of egg, through trimesters, and
birth through youth to adulthood? At what point is someone
considered to have the most potential?
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kat@adchick.com |
