The Taming of the Shrew

Michael's flirting continued this morning. I told him that the blog that I had written about  Tootsie Pops was up.

He said: Wow… I got excited reading that.. Very good, my love… very, very good… I will probably go back and read that several times before the day is over... Keeping in mind, that you WILL be tied down… Willingly or not… But my guess is………………. Willingly…

Me: You couldn't possibly be more wrong....

Him: Lol…… says you… we will see, my dear… We will see… Just for your comparing yourself to a cat… and being so nonchalant… But I have had a cat wandering around the outside of my house over the last several weeks… I have befriended her to the point that she (yes, she) now runs to me when she sees my car pull up… You will be tied… You will do it willingly… and you will thoroughly enjoy every second… and you WILL beg for more…XOXO

Me: You poor delusional man....

Him: We will see…. Me, delusional??? No…lol… You, unsuspecting??? Perhaps…

Me: Lol....you very much have the wrong girl...

Him: Hmmmmm….. I don’t think so… Do not knock something that you have not tried… Life is much too short…Maybe use my mind trick to convince you to be tied down, helpless to my whims…. ; )

So, M. changed his tactic....but not my mind. Momentarily,  he had softened his approach...he changed my amusement and my thoughts turned to Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.

Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,
Thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee,
And for thy maintenance commits his body
To painful labour both by sea and land,
To watch the night in storms, the day in cold,
Whilst thou liest warm at home, secure and safe;
And craves no other tribute at thy hands
But love, fair looks, and true obedience;
Too little payment for so great a debt.
Such duty as the subject owes the prince
Even such a woman oweth to her husband;
And when she is froward, peevish, sullen, sour,
And not obedient to his honest will,
What is she, but a foul contending rebel
And graceless traitor to her loving lord?

The truth is, that I for one, would love to find a man like Petruchio. Petruchio fought an epic battle to win Katherina's hand with her full acknowledgment of having chosen a life of married deference and obedience. Men fight steadfastly to convince--Shakespeare knew fully well it is in their nature, he begs Katherina to understand his values, while asking so little in return for his opportunity to love her. He knows what he is willing to provide for her; his position is certain and it would betray his sense of self not have offered all that could to her.

I see this today, when men who have been hurt by women say 'for the rest of her life, she would have wanting for nothing'.

Katherina on the other hand viewed her marriage as a chance to find harmony within a pre-planned societal role. I agree on both fronts.

On the one hand, I do believe that what is right for me, is a man who is the head of his/our household and wears the pants in all final decision making. What a woman gains from marriage is there is a status in being a wife that is far and above being a fiance and certainly above single-hood.  There has to be, if not obedience, certainly deference in a marriage or else you end up with two 'presidents of the corporation' going in opposite directions instead of allowing one of the partners to be the ultimate decision maker. Yes, of course there is input of feelings from the feminine energy partner, but the ultimate decision has to be made (I believe) by the masculine energy/dominant  partner--whether they are male or female.

There is a difference between being tied up and being tied down.... I prefer the latter.