Marriage in USA moving to Minority?`

Here's something I read on the news:

"The American Community Survey, released this month by the Census Bureau, found that 49.7 percent, or 55.2 million, of the nation’s 111.1 million households in 2005 were made up of married couples — with and without children — just shy of a majority and down from more than 52 percent five years earlier."

Wow. Pretty sad, really. Later on though they said something I found amusing:

"The proportion of married couples ranged from more than 69 percent in Utah County, Utah, which includes Provo, to 26 percent in Manhattan, which has a smaller share of married couples than almost anyplace in the country. But Manhattan registered a 1.2 percent increase in married couples since 2000, in contrast to the rest of New York City and many other places."
-- To Be Married Means to Be Outnumbered
By SAM ROBERTS
The New York Times

I thought it was interesting, though not at all surprising that Provo, Utah county, Utah has the highest percentage of married couples in the USA. There is a reason they call it Happy Valley. Hah. I guess I should mention that that's still only 69%. So it doesn't mean everyone there is getting married. Actually it doesn't even mean necessarily that many of them are. And now I'm ruining my own joke. I'm done now.

LB

Heroes

I find the Human Psyche interesting... Within men is a desire to fix things. A woman comes to a man to discuss problems or issues she has with events or other people or something, and then gets upset because the guy offers advice for how to fix the problem, or offers alternative points of view and other philosophies to clear things up. She gets upset because most often the woman merely wants someone to listen to her, and not try to effect a change in her. Most guys miss that idea.

Reason? The men love to fix problems, and the idea of stewing over a difficulty without an attempt to remedy the situation is most often a foreign concept to them.

But it moves to a deeper level than just that. Men want to fix everything; make everything right. This even goes to emotions, causing the man to attempt to squelch or control his own so that he may at least appear strong and thus able to play the hero to any damsels in distress ("Dis dress, dat dress, who cares? I'm distraught!"*). Also, if said "hero" hears a female friend of his complain of not having a boyfriend or other male attention, there is quite often an urge to see if there is a way to remedy even that. Not by finding a date for them, or any attempt to find the perfect man for them. No, he will often attempt to reason in his own mind if he may not be the one to end her solitude. This isn't thought in any prideful, disdainful, or creepy way, but rather is in the hope of fixing the problem. Most men love to be the hero, and would love to be the answer to some girl's prayers. So they investigate the potentiality of such a match, resulting in a mini-crush on her as they identify key similarities and differences before arriving at the decision that they're best off remaining as just friends. Fortunately, most often this assessment of prayer-answering-ability is done within the male's own mind, and thus rarely throws any cogs into the woman's gears.

What if he was the perfect guy for her? Then he would (and should) ask her out (after he attains an understanding of the potentiality). If he doesn't see it, then... well... we'll have to hope for the best. If they're really perfect for each other then they both should see that something's possible. But that's not what I'm trying to discuss.

Some men (especially nice men) put themselves into the silly mental trauma of trying to be the perfect man for just about every girl they're friends with. This never works because their friends all have different personalities, likes, dislikes, and needs. Now if they're smart chaps, they will realize this and cease their constant character shifts (though I can guarantee they'll still be thinking about it), and try their hardest to be themselves.

I will say it's a frustrating thing for nice guys; nice guys are bachelors for a long time, usually. They often have more... unique personality traits and habits that make them easy to be friends with, but often hard to remain with for extended periods of time. Nice men are often only able to be taken in doses. Measured doses. Leading them to feel very lonely, although often surrounded by friends. I'm sure this is a strong motivation in their desire to be the hero, the perfect man for some girl. Unfortunately, I think it may also be the reason they try to fix too much and remain in their singleness for such a long time. I could speak of one or two in particular, but I firmly believe this has more universal application.

No, I don't think nice men should start behaving like jerks (a good percentage of other men). I am not trying to fix things. I am merely pointing out an interesting (if sad) effect the course of our human psyches may take us. Unfortunately, in all my discussion, I don't feel like I have discovered the reason for why these things are the way they are. I even admit the possibility of all this being only my imagination (I do have a vivid one). However, my observations are quite extensive on the matter; I spend a lot of time observing people, and how they interact with others (including myself). I have had many conversations with men and women on the subject, and still have no answer for it.

Heh. Go figure.


*Quotes from The Bullwinkle Show:
Bullwinkle: Hey lady, are you in distress?
Natasha: Dis dress, dat dress, who cares? I'm distraught!
Bullwinkle (to Rocky): Do we help ladies in distraught?

So I'm directing this show...

Ever take on a project that really freaks you out?

Just wondering...

Heh.

I'm directing a show this fall, and let me tell you, it's interesting to have the table reversed. I'm used to the acting side more than the production side of the theatre aspect. But it's fun, I've got a great cast, and life is good.

Blah...

I'm just a little nervous about it, because even though I've had the training to do this, I've never done a full length production before. It's like being taught how to drive a car and then going on the freeway for the first time. I'll do what I can, be careful, and things will probably be fine, but there is still going to be a strong element of the unknown here.

Seriously though, if I didn't have the people around me that I do to help me out (and most of them are other students), I wouldn't be nearly so optimistic about this production.

THIS IS GREAT!!!!!

[shake it off, man, shake it off. just play it cool.]

LB

[Coughs] life is an interesting beast.

Wise words of advice given yesterday and today, and I sometimes wonder how much heed we actually pay to them. I'm under the impression that these semiannual meetings are for more than our passing enjoyment; they should be life-changing... Every time. We all have things to work on, and if we take what hits us the most and work on that for the next six months, then take what hits us the most next time, and we'll be gradually improving ourselves and not wasting the time we spend. I mean, we're spending 8-10 hours of our lives every six months. If it all goes in one ear and out the other, what were we even there for? To learn, and then change to meet the new challenges.

[getting off soap-box]

It was an excellent Conference, with many wise words, and much for all of us to learn and change by.