HITTING HOME
Mr. Ordinary If you’re lucky enough to find him, hold on tight
BY DALE NIXON
A while back, a
Yale-Harvard study indicated that if a woman is single, over 30 and welleducated, her chances of ever getting married ranged from slim to nearly none.
Ever since I read the article, I’ve been wanting to write about romance. I procrastinated on this column because I’m not an expert in the field of romance. But since February is here and Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, I’m hard-pressed to keep my thoughts to myself. I may not be a Dr. Ruth (lucky, lucky me) or a Leo Buscaglia (Did you know the man is not married?), but I do have a few credentials. I watch “All My Children” on the daytime soaps, and I have seen every episode of “The Bachelor.” I’ve seen “Gone with the Wind,” “Pillow Talk,” “Out of Africa” and “Love Story.” I’ve read every book ever written by Judith Krantz, Rosemary Rogers and Barbara Taylor Bradford. I tune in religiously to Dr. Phil and Oprah. Furthermore, I’m a woman. Now that I’ve presented my credentials, I’d like to make a statement to the single woman, over 30 and well-educated, whose chances of ever getting married range from slim to nearly none. The reason you may never get married is because you expect too much from men. You are spinning your wheels looking for Mr. Right. May I make a suggestion? Look for Mr. Ordinary. Mr. Ordinary is not necessarily tall, dark and handsome. He comes in all shapes and sizes. Mr. Ordinary is, however, handsome on the inside. He has a heart the size of California, and his
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February 2010
soul is usually of a golden color. Afford yourself a second look. You may like what you see. Compared with Mr. Ordinary, Mr. Right may be articulate and a gifted conversationalist. But Mr. Ordinary will take the time to listen to what others have to say. When Mr. Ordinary does have something to say, it’s usually well thought out and sincere. If you’ll notice, when Mr. Ordinary does speak, everyone listens. Apologies don’t come easy for the perfect man. Even when he’s wrong, he’s right. There’s a lesson about this in a quote from one of my romance novels: “People who never make mistakes finally sprout wings and fly away.” On the other hand, Mr. Ordinary admits when he’s at fault and is quick to say, “I’m sorry.” Mr. Ordinary does have his problems. He squeezes the toothpaste in the middle of the tube, drinks out of the milk carton, occasionally locks himself out of the house and never has the oil changed in his car. He may forget your birthday every now and then, pick you up a few minutes late for a date, forget to get a haircut and burn the steaks. But, by the same token, he is never too busy to play with a child, share a picnic or fly a kite. He’s not too proud to mop a floor, cook a meal or run your bath water. Mr. Ordinary can roar with laughter, shed a tear, say “I love you” and bow his head in prayer. Ladies, what I’m trying to say is this: Life is too short to look for perfection in a man. Look instead for Mr. Ordinary. And if you’re lucky enough to find him, grab on, hold on for dear life and never let him go. Happy Valentine’s Day. PS Columnist Dale Nixon resides in Concord but enjoys a slice of heaven (disguised as a condominium) in the village of Pinehurst. You may contact her by e-mail at dalenixon@carolina.rr.com.
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