Eleanor Roosevelt said, “People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built.”
Eric Adler’s excellent article “A full-time quest” (2/22, A-1) showed the true character of many struggling men and women in our community. The bravery of former executive Darren Wright to share his very personal story is to be commended.
Sure, he has a BMW, a collector car and a Johnson County “McMansion,” but the fact that he had significant savings tells me he was not living beyond his (former) means and was not using credit card debt to support his family’s lifestyle. That is a lesson we should all heed.
As someone whose (now ex) husband was laid off several years ago, I can assure you that it is one of the most stressful things that can happen in a marriage. Obviously Wright’s family and faith are supporting him through this crisis. Hopefully someday soon a local company will find “Mr. (W)right” and offer him a great job.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who went back to work this week with a renewed appreciation for my job.
Shere Parker
Lee’s Summit
Here's what happened. They were married. He was laid off. The marriage went south from the stress created by the mounting bills, financial insecurity, husband's loss of confidence, etc. Maybe he always had to be reminded to put salt in the water softener and take out the garbage (wait, that's my husband) -- or maybe he took to drink or other women (not my husband). So they spleet up.
We're writing Shere's biography here.
Posted by: TinaMcG | February 25, 2009 at 08:13 PM
TG-
It's pretty darn murky.
I took the rest of her sentence; "I can assure you that it is one of the most stressful things that can happen in a marriage.", to mean when she was married (to that lyin', cheatin' no account ex of hers).
OK, maybe I read a little more into it than you.
Posted by: Smarter Than You | February 25, 2009 at 07:43 PM
"I’d agree with you except for the parenthetical emphasis on (now ex). A simple ex-husband would have sufficed were it simply a point of the nuptial dissolution."
STY, if she had said "ex-husband", that would mean he was laid off while he was her ex-husband. I took her comment to mean that when he was laid off, he was her husband, but now he is not.
Clear as mud?
Posted by: TinaMcG | February 25, 2009 at 07:14 PM
....something tells me Shere feels about her ex the way NMMNG feels about his..........
Posted by: solomon | February 25, 2009 at 06:19 PM
Tina:
I’d agree with you except for the parenthetical emphasis on (now ex). A simple ex-husband would have sufficed were it simply a point of the nuptial dissolution.
Posted by: Smarter Than You | February 25, 2009 at 05:54 PM
Oh you guys.
She mentioned that he was her ex because she no longer thinks of him as her husband. I would have referred to my ex the same way. Don't read anything into it.
Posted by: TinaMcG | February 25, 2009 at 05:37 PM
Excellent question STY.
I know a man who (when in High School) drove a new Mustang sophomore year and a new Camaro senior year. His family lived down the street from Loose Park. He was set to go into and inherit his fathers business.
I did not see him for 30 years after graduation, but he told me at our reunion he was on his third wife(the first two were not good women) and he had gone out of business (through no fault of his own) and his kids were strangers to him(because of their mothers).
I doubt if he'll ever take responsibility for any of his troubles.
Posted by: solomon | February 25, 2009 at 08:42 AM
Good question Sol. Here's another: Why do people feel that once they've reached a certain financial threshold it is their birth rite to maintain that position?
Posted by: Smarter Than You | February 25, 2009 at 07:58 AM
Why did Shere think it was important that we know she is divorced?
Posted by: solomon | February 25, 2009 at 07:40 AM