Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man

Oh, she thought the proposal, the ring, and the wedding would
follow shortly after the baby was born. To his credit, her boy-
friend did come through with a ring. But she’s been wearing it
for seven years now, and though she’s been hoping, waiting, and
praying for a wedding date, they’re no closer to walking down
the aisle today than they were the day their child was born.
They share a home. They share parenting responsibilities. They
share bills, schedules, car notes, church pews, and most cer-
tainly a bed. But they don’t share the last name or a marriage
certificate.
She can’t understand why they’re playing house instead of
making an official home together. He feels as if they’ve got a
home, and really, there’s not much more need to go any further
than they already have.
And this is the dilemma.
See, to some men, marriage fits into the same category as
eating vegetables: you know it’s something you should be doing,
but you don’t really want to because, well, the greasy, fat-filled,
salty, juicy burger and fries is just so much more satisfying. I’ve
told you time and again in this book that we men are very
simple creatures, and if it were not for women, we’d be living
rather, well, simply—the money would go to mostly shiny
things, our time would be spent watching sports and strippers,
and there would be no need for most of us to keep a clean house
or dress nice or do anything other than play video games. We’re
happy living this way—it makes us feel young and carefree.
Marriage does not. Responsibility and marriage do not fit into