>I don't know who the women are that you know, but the ones I know are, for the most part, strong, intelligent, and capable of running their own lives. They don't need a substitute for their father; they need a partner to share their lives.
>
>Tamar

Tamar

Don't you get the feeling that Howard lives in some kind of Arkansas "Stepford" with all the little wifeys doing what they can for whist drives, village fetes, etc., and that being unpleasant to or gainsaying their man doesn't even come into it? On the other hand, the men aren't mean of abusive to the little ladies as there's no need to, given their inbred, innate acquiescence.

For my part, there's times when my partner "fears" my reaction and vice versa. It's like you say about conviction and position of strength/being right, etc. e.g. "Oh my God, she'll be back in 10 mins and I haven't hung out the washing as she asked me!", or "Oh! I forgot to water the garden and his best plants are all wilted - he's gonna 'kill me' (not literally of course)".

When we were kids playing football in the park, and there weren't enough to make proper teams, and noone wanted to be permanently in goal, we'd play "goalie and out", i.e. whoever was closest the goal became goalie for that instant. Similar in relations - we take turns at being boss :-)

Terry