The Recession Phase of a Common Marriage

A Modern Day Kitchen Table Subject Story

Mark pulled his leased BMWii into the driveway of his second-mortgaged Spanish adobe, Silverlake Hills home--five miles removed from the heart of downtown Los Angeles. The radio talk show host was doing a great job of holding Mark's attention. So he kept listening after he turned off the car's ignition, pulling the sun visor down to block the direct rays of the setting autumn sun.

"Divorce rates always see a dramatic rise during difficult economic times, like the bluesy times we're experiencing right now as we come to the end of 2008," the radio voice spoke in a smooth baritone. "It's times like these when some husbands, especially on a Friday night, like we're heading into today, might be more inclined to look for diversions from their mundane life at work and home. I'm talking diversions like drinking more, doing some recreational drugs or trying his luck at gambling. And who knows, he may even decide to treat himself to a stop at his favorite massage parlor where he can forget about his problems for a few minutes or more." The host snickered. "Because he knows the minute he gets home his lovely wife is going to be eager to jump on any opportunity she can find to start talking about her favorite subject, their financial difficulties. And we know that's the last thing he wants to hear or think about, the direct implication that he's a failure."

"Like talking about it constantly is going to help," Mark said to himself.

"Ironically enough," the radio host went on, "the reason for many of these scenarios, which take place every day, are explained in John Gray's book Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus."

All week long, Mark thought as he silenced the radio, the host kept glibly referring to the same book and a few others about how to maintain a lasting relationship.