Cheatin’ Hearts
By GlindaWith all the hoopla surrounding the whole sordid affair of supposed nice-guy Tiger Woods, I can’t help but wonder what the hell he was thinking.
But to be fair, I wonder that about anyone that cheats, especially those that have children. I have always told my husband that if you feel like dipping your ahem, pen, into someone else’s ink, then just please go ahead and divorce me first. Because in my mind, if you are that unhappy in a marriage that you feel the need to cheat, then why stay married at all? Why put your entire family through that?
When the story first broke, I told my husband about Tiger sleeping with a bunch of escorts and strippers and the like. He responded in a fairly typical male Cro-Magnon way of “Yeah, you go Tiger, get it where you can” or some such drivel.
After he regained consciousness, (I kid, I kid) I gave him a stare capable of withering even the staunchest member of the He-Man Women Haters Club. “Oh really,” I said, “Then I can’t wait to see your reaction when your daughter comes to you and tells you her husband cheated on her.” His face fell. “I’m sure you will be the first to call the guy and congratulate him on his success in getting some tail.”
Well of course, when put in that perspective, cheating sounded pretty horrible to him all of a sudden. But it underscores an unfortunate mindset, and my husband is actually one of the most enlightened guys around. I will confess that I will never understand what makes people cheat on their partners, and I say that with the inclusion of women that have affairs as well.
I truly hope that Elin Woods gets half of the $548 million she’s reputed to be looking for. I think she deserves every penny of it.
December 21st, 2009 at 4:25 pm
You can tell yourself that he is one of the most enlightened guys around, but that response is anything but. Wow.
December 21st, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Well, seeing as how I’ve known him for almost twenty years and you are going off of one remark I’ve selectively chosen, I’m pretty confident.
But my main point was that our culture is not one that particularly punishes cheating (especially by sucessful males), and this is true of many others as well. So if even my husband buys into the whole “ball and chain” message, then it’s pretty pervasive.
December 23rd, 2009 at 12:41 am
Cheating happens for a lot of reasons, sometimes even in happy relationships. I think that for some men (and women), the amazing moment of having someone SO into you is like a drug. I’m not saying that people cannot resist it, because many people clearly do. But I kinda wonder about people who have big egos, like you would if you were a famous sports figure or politician or movie star, and what that does to your sense of right and wrong? I have a friend who’s husband cheated on her twice (divorced now, thanks), and I think it had as much to do with his success and feeling like he “deserved” to be able to sleep around as anything else. Now that the economy has crashed, so has he, and his ways have changed, and he deeply regrets breaking her heart.
So I guess my point is, it’s complicated. Not that I think it’s OK, but it’s complicated.
December 26th, 2009 at 2:25 am
I just can’t figure out why you’d cheat on your wife with a dozen women who look more or less just like her.