Sexes: The Marriage Dialogues

The Way It Usually Ends

50 The Way It Usually Ends “Why bother with reunions anyway?” “Why—,” she answered, “it puts you in your generation, that’s why?” “What’s so good about that?” She turned the television on, then turned it off and on and off again. “Why don’t we just consider it a change of scene?” she asked. “You said the same thing last year.” “And we went, and we enjoyed it.” “We end up feeling like survivors, and we’re fewer every year,” he sighed and loosened his tie. “Maybe the fault’s with you,” she said. “With me?” “You men just talk about your golf scores or how much hair you’ve lost, and that’s just boring.” “Hair’s a sensitive issue with men.” “But everyone knows that hair’s a recessive male gene, so why not just accept it and let nature take its course?” 51 She flicked on the television remote and watched a promo for Viagra on the screen. “And then there’s that,” she scoffed and muted the message. “You talk as if you women are above it all.” “We think there’s more to life than golf scores, hair, and sex.” “So you let nature take its course and leave it go at that?” “I think we do.” “Is plastic surgery one way of letting nature take its course?” “Women have problems with gravity that plastic surgery can help, but you wouldn’t understand that . . .” “Where’s the consistency?” “Who says we have to be consistent?” “And what about cosmetics, perfume, hair color, and the other tricks?” She clicked off the remote, then smiled her silencing smile and said with total conviction, “And we use and love every one of them.” ...