A cautionary tale for every middle-aged man: part 2

Working a difficult downtown delivery route for UPS which meant a lot of deliveries within a few miles of city blocks kept me in top shape. I was a trim 5'10", 195-lbs., 34" waist. On the other hand, my wife was 5'7", brunette, a waist like a beer keg, and weighed well over 215-lbs., a wide-body in every sense. We had the stereotypical marriage where after the honeymoon and ten pounds a year and a kid and another kid, the picture got ugly fast. A hundred pounds later I had no idea what I'd married. Who was that person in the house with me?

My brother, Zaine, has a theory of sexuality. It's that every man in his youth has a range of what constitutes beauty in his eyes, and he looks for girls and women who fit within that range. When he finds them, he wants to be with them, to have sex with them, and maybe even marry them. Outside that range, there's no interest, no emotional connection need be made, and certainly no sexual interest. This "range" can consist of a body type (big breasts, tight little hardbody, bedroom-body, great face, etc.), an age range (older teen/young woman, hot coed, elegant natural beauty), or a personality set (fun-loving, easy-going, supportive, humorous, sensuous, adventurous, etc.). Outside these ranges — fat, old, bitchy, expensive, high-maintenance, etc. — are the last thing men want at any age, much less middle age, when he's taking stock of his life and not impressed with his accomplishments. Outside that range, the man's desire deflates, his interest shifts, and he looks elsewhere for excitement.

My brother chose chess during this time in his life. I had the opportunity, had the job, and had the body, so I chose hot girls!