The following chapters comprise what I will classify from the outset as a semi-
autobiographical story. Much of it is true, but some events and/or times have been condensed so that it doesn't take a lifetime to write. Some characters' names have been changed to protect their privacy.
The dialog has been recreated as accurately as I can remember, so it may not be exact, but it's pretty close. People have always said that I have a pretty good memory and I should go on Jeopardy. But there is a big difference between a good memory and an extensive random knowledge base.
So first a little background...
Growing up I was taught that what I wanted was a wife, a house with a white picket fence, a bunch of kids, and a dog. Maybe it would have worked for me. But I've heard that the divorce rate is currently 60% and I know children are an expensive commitment that lasts a lifetime, so where would I be today if I went that route? Would I be happy? Would I be as happy as I am today? My dad once said at a wedding, "No offense to my kids because I like them just fine. And I'm glad I had them. But if I had it to do all over again, I never would have gotten married." I had two male relatives at the same table: one agreed that he too was happier when he was single and the other relative was glad he was married.
In terms of personal happiness, two out of three men at that table were not happy with the way things turned out. No wonder so many men end up cheating at some point in their lives. They want to enjoy their lives, yet have financial security, an attractive partner, and not to be stuck in a rut of work, kids, shopping, and always doing family things. Sure family togetherness is nice, but what about all of the time 24/7?
There's that song "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." Well, guys just want to have fun too. It's just that girls and guys have fun in different ways. Unfortunately most men feel they don't get that need satisfied with their partners...especially once they have kids. At that point thinking about themselves is over. They become full-time fathers and providers, whether they wanted that or not.
Everyone likes to recite the words of the Robert Frost poem "The Road Not Taken," and think of themselves as radicals bucking the trend. But most end up with the usual menu of marriage, mortgage, job, and children. That's the road taken by nearly everyone. I think people enjoy that poem because the road less traveled is their fantasy, but then real life intervenes.
I took the road less traveled, quite unexpectedly and in some respects accidentally. And this story explains, in part, how that came about.
(See the Chapters to the right to begin. New Chapters will be added periodically when they are ready.)
