CHEATING WIVES

Ali, Lorraine & Lisa Miller (2004) “The Secret Lives of Wives” NEWSWEEK, July 12, p.47-54

The statistics on sexual activity are not very reliable. To complicate matters, in most studies women undercount the number of affairs and men exaggerate.

However, that placed aside, most national random samples indicate that females probably do as much now as male in terms of extramarital sex. If this is the case, the outcomes are similar to women who are homemakers and those in the work force. Those at home connect with lovers through sex chat lines and those at work find lovers there.

The scenario goes something like this. Women enjoyed dating and the excitement that went with it as tweens, teens and twenty somethings. After marriage, the husband becomes boring and a new stranger is exciting. The cycle begins again and again.

The results are like a divorce or death in the family. The merged word mom&dad are shattered. Kids feel devastated and cheated. The husband is crushed. Mom leaves the home or takes it hard and takes it to her grave. It’s one of life’s lessons.

This same story also applies when dad is an infidel. The excitement sooner or later moves to regret. Something is broken.

NEWSWEEK writers note that handsome strangers can tarnish and that the good husband, although predictable is worth saving.

Infidelity may be a new option for women, but the long lasting results are the same for either sex or their progeny.