A few nights ago I had the pleasure of being asked back for the third time to Sanibel Island's oldest, whackiest book club for a holiday party and discussion of my newest book, "Man of the House." Beautiful artist Pam Rambo (yes, it is her real name) cooked up some nice fish and a salad and some rice that was so black it almost looked like caviar. Very tasty. One of the members, LuAnn, gave us all a pair of little snowman earrings as holiday gifts. ("Those are for your wife, Ad, not you" she said.)

All in all, it was a fun evening, and as always, the conversation drifted back and forth between the actual book and the things that were happening in the lives of these women. That's what makes book-club visits fun ... and certainly interesting. The only awkward moment came when one of the ladies asked if I, as does my protagonist Linc Menner, actually sit down when I pee. I told them that, yes, I often do this in the early morning and middle of the night because, well, a guy's aim just isn't that good when he's not fully awake, and it's ME who has to clean those toilets after all, so why would I sabotage myself? You sit down, and there's no mess. Period. Try it, guys. You'll make your wife much happier.

1 Comments:

 Len said...

Confessions of a Sixty-Year Old House Husband.


For many single men in their sixties, one alternative to the continuing struggle for self-sufficiency is becoming a strong woman’s house husband. Please do not misconstrue the intent of choosing this path to safety and well-being. You are no more a leech or parasite than the house husband’s female counterpart - the traditional wife. You wouldn’t cast aspersions upon a woman whose lifeblood is sacrificed daily for the pleasure of her husband and children. Why look down on a man who opts to play the role for a successful woman?

A house husband is no less masculine than the guy who drives a computer all day in an open space office cube or loads farm machinery on big flatbed trucks for cross-country transport. The house husband does sacrifice the dominant role in a marriage-type relationship. No longer the go-to guy for producing the household cash flow, he contributes in other and possibly more important ways. Becoming a house husband is not so much the surrender of what most societies today consider the power position. It offers men an opportunity to explore primal instincts long driven from consciousness by economic necessity and cultural bias.

December 4, 2008 10:47 AM  

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