Couples today are not wanting to opt out of their relationships simply because of irreconcilable differences the way they tended to back in the 1960's, 70's, and 80's. Instead they seem determined to hold onto the wonder-full part of the relationship and to find a way to work through the differences, sometimes despite intense hurt, pain, and even betrayal. The stumbling block is that couples, more than ever, deeply desire a relationship that is characterized by equality and reciprocity and not so much by traditional roles, traditional expectations, or traditional norms. Unfortunately, there are no models for such a relationship. "From The Frying Pan To The Jacuzzi" invites couples to reach and stretch beyond the ordinary to the "gourmet." The book invites couples to "savor" twenty-one recipes, none of which are necessarily easy, but all simple, juicy, and doable! The book is informative, insightful, and fun. The reader will laugh and cry. The book will provide couples a step-by-step guide to growing up in their relationships and to stop trying to win what amounts to literally a pointless game. This second edition has a change in editorial tone and an additional chapter entitled, "Know There Is A God."
About the Author: At the time of this writing, I am seventy-one years old. I am looking at living beyond one hundred. I am "jazzed" about life, and I find it an honor to support the people I love, including my family, friends, colleagues, and clients, also being "jazzed" about life. I especially enjoy supporting couples being "jazzed" about life in the context of their relationship. The statistics about the success and failure in marriages today are just that, statistics, and in no way stop any couple from going the distance in their relationship if they choose to do so with a little help from someone like myself. I have invested a lot of my waking hours exploring relationships--what makes them tick and what throws them off track. I follow the batting average approach to life and to relationships. Batting three hundred is a really excellent batting average, but it means that you are only being successful about thirty percent of the time. But it also says that you are willing to step up to the plate one hundred percent of the time! So there really is no such thing as the perfect batting average. The same is true of relationships. In Scripture, the Greek root meaning of what we translate as "perfect" is actually "grown-up." So when it comes to relationships, it's indeed not about perfection, but just being grown-up. How cool is that? I am a big fan of people making and keeping commitments and learning how to be grown-ups in the relationship instead of two-year-olds or teenagers. I think as human beings, we can do the "work" whether we are soulmates or perhaps not even sure how we got into the relationship but something tells us we love each other. With respect to this book, this second edition, like the first edition, is very much a wonder to me. When I write, I always experience myself as an instrument and am cautious not to take too much credit. The changes in the second edition reflect much of my own growth and spiritual development as a man and as a partner. I have personally experienced both death and divorce in relationships as well as many years of heartfelt love between myself and my partners. And just so you will know something about my so-called credentials, I have been actively working in the mental health field since 1967, and after being licensed as a marriage family therapist in 1982, have maintained a private practice. I also teach parenting classes and provide staff training and development for a variety of people-helping organizations.