It was just understood…
That she enjoyed watching his tennis matches,
And he liked her softball games,
And they both loved old movies,
And dancing on weekends.

It was just understood…
That she would never get fat,
And he would never go bald,
And they both wanted kids,
And a dog and cats.

It was just understood…
That she admired his strength,
And he was charmed by her frailty,
And they filled each other’s needs,
And their verbal vows meant love everlasting.

It was just understood…
That goodnight kisses that steamed car windows,
And lasted ’til dawn,
And no longer satisfied,
Meant It was time to get married.

It is now understood…
That she likes Country,
And he prefers Rock,
And she needs time to herself,
And he wants a night out with the guys.

It is now understood…
That she was totally unprepared for motherhood,
And toilet training,
And daily provocative decisions such as lamb chops or liver,
And she needs more in her life,

It is now understood…
That he has the ability to turn off, tune out,
And sleep through children’s 2:00 AM feedings,
And nightmares,

And Sunday morning trampoline sessions on their king-sized bed.

It is now understood…
That when the family visits he will usually disappear,
And watch television,
And take a nap,
And leave her to entertain and clean up.

It is now understood…
That her recessive genes are the reason the children need braces,
And wear glasses,
And have allergies,
And are overweight.

It is now understood…
That his permissiveness is why the children are spoiled,
And sloppy,
And lazy,
And irresponsible.

It is now understood…
That after a day of Sesame Street,
And soap operas,
And supermarkets, she needs mental stimulation,
And verbal communication.

It is now understood…
That after a day of heated debates,
And harried deadlines,
And hairy decisions,
And hostile demands, he doesn’t.

It is now understood…
That in the evening when they climb into bed,
And he has lower back pain,
And she has a tension headache,
Sweet kisses not only gratify, but satisfy.

And as they drift off to sleep,
In each other’s embrace,
The words once needed to prove their love,
Go unsaid.
It is just understood…

Laverne H. Pollak (Bardy)

A page from my life in the early 1970’s