Re-runs on History Channel Last Night

So I guess they aired a re-run of our segment on History Channel's "Strange Rituals: Forbidden Sex" last night - twice!  The fun never ends.  Did anyone see it?  You know - the segment that is waffled between the incestuous father and daughter and tantric sex enthusiasts?  ;)

Here is the trailer:

Perfect Schmerfect

When I started this whole thing (blogging, TV, radio, etc.), it was to try to be a good example of plural marriage.  Since then, I have talked to many people and have indeed had a positive impact of people's perceptions on polygamy.  Every now and then, I will get a random email from someone, thanking me for being an example.  I am grateful for that.  Last week, though, I got an email from someone who told me that I was the "best" example of plural marriage, hands down, even over the Kody Brown family.

Since then, that proclamation has disturbed me.  So I have to issue a caveat.

I am not perfect.  I am not always the best example of plural marriage.  I am petulant, spoiled, petty, mean-spirited, cynical, rude, and overall a man-child.  I fight with my wives.  I sometimes take a perverse joy in twisting their words, because I am so verbose and good with words.  I hold grudges.  I suffer from depression. I feel sorry for myself a lot.  I am just plain hard to live with.

I am amazed that my wives have put up with me so long.

If there is any success to my marriages, it belongs strictly to my wives.  They are patient, kind, sweet, loving, understanding, and long-suffering. I am totally aware of how lucky I am.

If there is anything good to be said - it is this:  I love these two women with all of my heart.  I am not perfect, but sometimes I feel that my poor chest cannot contain the amount of love that I have for them.  I pray every day that I can become a better husband to them.

So an example - maybe.  But not a perfect one.  And Kody Brown has four wives.  I have only two.  I am sure that they are doing MUCH better than me.

A while ago, I went on hiatus, because I was overwhelmed at how much I suck at this sometimes.  But I realized that I still have a lot to say on the subject.  So I brought the blog back.

I just wanted to make it clear - this lifestyle is difficult and not for the faint of heart.  I don't want to put across any false images or candy-coat anything.  Aight?

Just sayin'...

And as far as the letters - keep them coming.  I LOVE getting them.  It reminds me that I am doing this for a reason.  I love feedback.  I love questions.  I love talking to people.

Half Birthdays

Many, like me, are new to plural marriage.  That is to say, we were not raised in the culture, and, as a result, we must decide what works - and what doesn't work - for our own respective families, without regard to tradition.  I have seen some strange customs that pop up in different families.  But hey, whatever works, right?

One strange custom that has popped up in my family has raised some eyebrows from onlookers.  And that is our custom of "half birthdays".

It seemed as if Martha and Temple were always having babies within six months of each other.  And when you have sets of kids from different moms that are roughly around the same age, it is like having  twins.  In fact, all of them have believed at some point that they really were twins.  Never mind that they were born months apart from different mothers.  In their minds, they are twins.

For instance, take Aidan and Sara.  They are five months apart.  One stands a whole head taller than the other.  But they insisted that they were twins, but it becomes very evident on birthdays that one is being recognized, and the other is somehow excluded.  How can you be twins and have different birthdays?  So they created something that they called "Half Birthdays".

It works like this - if it is Aidan's birthday (like it was a couple of days ago), it is Sara's "half birthday".  Aidan is the one who gets the cake and presents, and Aidan presents a small gift - a consolation prize, as it were - to the Sara.  Because it is her half birthday, not her birthday.  Five months later, when Sara has a birthday, she will present a half birthday gift to Aidan.

They were very insistent on it.  My kids watch out for each other.  It doesn't matter who their mother is, they are brothers and sisters.

So this tradition involved.  And I see the strange looks from relatives visiting our birthday parties when the birthday boy/ girl whips out a half birthday present.

And we have three sets of "twins".  Aidan and Sara.  Alex and Siobhan.  Avery and Israel.

Strange?  Yes.  But - it works for us.  And that's what is important.  I hope the tradition continues long after I am dead and gone.