Dreaming Athletic Trainer: June 2009

Thoughtful piece on South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's scandal, which has been lightly covered in the recent week, due to the many famous deaths. Still, I found this blog by Danielle Crittendon to be very interesting in her attempt not to discover why 'men cheat on their wives', but, to explore the unexplainable formula for a successful marriage. I encourage you to read the opinionated commenters, too, as their supplemental insight is as entertaining, and valuable as the article - it's well worth it!

Danielle Crittenden: When Love Turns to Scandal

Here are some of the Reader's Comments that caught my eye.

The real problem is that marriage is an outmoded institution. Marriage is a legacy of the feudal era, when corrupt religious officials worked hand-in-glove with rich land owners to bind serfs together in marriage to make them more controllable. Our outmoded laws merely perpetuated this archaic arrangement, and the result is the turmoil we see around us today. If we lived in a civilized nation, couples would have the option of entering into civil unions of a few years that could be renewed -- or not -- like driver's licenses. Of course, we don't live in a civilized nation, so that's quite impossible. -Merlin7

Marriage existed prior to the feudal era. -larissa68

.... if Maria and Mark do forge ahead with their relationship ... Maria will find out she loves a man who was shaped by his wife ... how long will the "love" last then? .... when he has no power, few friends and less money ... with children visiting every other weekend -Headsortails

One only have to ready the email exchanges from Sanford to his friend to understand why he went forward with the relationship. They are madly in love with each other and with that in the picture there was no turning back. Can you picture him exchanging such emails with his wife? NO. The routine of marriage life does not have patient for such romantic exchanges, more so when you have a "state" to govern. No one can tell me that Sanford didn't think of the negative consequences of the friendship, (I refuse to call it an affair btw) yet he went with it because he was in love. Right now is the most difficult period for him because he is hurting and has NOBODY to talk to about it. Faith based or clinical therapy cannot help him because he CANNOT fully be candid on how he feels exactly -- he is married, has a state to run and everyone has denounced his actions, he is suffering from the loss of his friend, the hurt he caused his wife and kids, the disappointment he garnered from public. That's why I feel sorry for him, just as Ms. Danielle mentioned above. I never even heard of him, nor cared for any republican governors. But I really appreciate his honesty. His situation was unlike Spizter, (no class) Edwards and Clinton (liers) and I hope he will not go ahead saying that the devil made him do it or some stupid nonsense like that. -tokesan

Oh, BeJeBus! It's NOT epic luvvvvvv story. It's a m.i.d.l.i.f.e. c.r.i.s.i.s. man who wanted to get his f.r.e.a.k. on away from the p.r.y.i.n.g eyes of the press. And, it's a woman who IS STILL married to another man wanting to do the same. And, a woman who had a boyfriend in Argentina while also p.l.a.y.i.n.g. around with a married man. And, if you think this is the first time for the Gov, it ain't. He just got c.a.u.g.h.t. this time. No guy who writes p.r.o.s.e. like that and not to his wife, is not a P.L.A.Y.E.R."he is hurting and has NOBODY to talk to about it."And, I'm sure that's the line he gave Maria to start the affair with her. -Wiseronenow

Blah blahIt's not about fidelity or infidelity. Relationships break up all the time and nothing is going to change that.It's about how you behave when confronted with these situations:Do you come clean and let the truth set you free, or do you start a campaign of lies, coverups, frauds, and illegal activities to cover your shame. -frantaylor

There are many more comments that caught my eye, but were too long to post.