Two Day Magazine

Because you can find the silver lining...

As we all know, the Schwarzenegger saga is just one more in a long list of men behaving badly. But, is it as simple as that? Can we just slap him on the wrist like we do with so many others and shrug our shoulders?

Oh, men behave badly all the time. It’s nothing new.”

“Monogamy is unrealistic. We should all get our heads out of the sand.”

“If he was my husband, I’d kill him.”

“Well, she isn’t blameless, either, she knew he was a pig.”

“The man is a womanizer, what did she expect?”

Every where you go, people are adding their two cents about this sordid affair and we all have an opinion about how he has handled it, how his wife has handled it, and even how recklessly the maid has handled it. But, the question remains...what can we learn from this?

People show you who they are...so believe them.
    Maria Shriver defended this man against several sexual harassment allegations when he was running for governor of California, stating that she knew who he was and he would never be the way others described him: “indulgent toddler”, “womanizer”, “cheater”. Maybe her own blind ambitions got in the way, or she just wanted to keep her family together, or perhaps she just truly wanted to believe that he would never be the things others said he was. But, when someone shows you their true self, it is best to stop and examine what that means for you, for your relationship, and for your family.

Those deluded by power are the most dangerous of all.
    Arnold’s ego was so big from years of being touted as the “Terminator” and as professional body builder, he was used to getting exactly what he wanted whenever he wanted, from whomever he wanted, that he was willing to put all else aside to indulge his selfish needs. Who knows what this man really did to women over the years, how many never came forward. As a society, maybe it is time we start to reexamine why we give our power to certain people and why we feel these people deserve our power, as well.

Cheating solves nothing.
    Yes, many say that monogamy is overrated. Maybe you, yourself, have even cheated on your partner. But, did it solve anything? Did your relationship benefit from your indiscretion or do you now feel compounded by emotions of guilt, jealousy or discontentment? He got in so over his head, that he went so far as to hide a child from his wife, from his other children, from the world. Now, he is a very sticky situation, a public separation, a smear campaign against not only himself, but against his governorship...all for what?

Don’t be a fool...Wrap your tool!
    What also disgusts me about this whole situation (besides the obvious) is the fact that he had so little regard for his wife, that he was willing to put her health on the line to satisfy his own desires. I am in no way condoning his behavior, but he was even acting irresponsibly irresponsible. At least if you are going to cheat, wear a condom so you don’t endanger the health of your wife or possibly end up with a pregnant mistress.

Follow your gut.
    Maria had her reservations and may have had an inkling that Arnold wasn’t the man he claimed to be, but she put those feelings on the back burner for several reasons. She wanted to keep up a public persona, she wanted to keep her family intact, she wanted to believe in him, she was in love with him....the list goes on and on as to why you would live in a place of denial for so long. But, at the end of the day, if your gut is telling you something is wrong...guess what? Something is wrong. Just ask Maria.