The lifestyle changes once you say ‘I do’

“If you tell the truth, it will always be in your past. If you tell a lie, it’ll continue to be part of your future.
— former NFL coach Tony Dungy

If your life is anything like mine, there are moments you wish you could press a rewind button, rethink exactly what you were doing and then proceed with life as if nothing had happened in the first place.
Unfortunately, a small icon does not magically appear above our heads anytime we please.
By the way, if such gadgets and tools existed, our lives would never end, primarily because we hit the rewind button dozens of times in an effort to find whether said event would somehow have a different outcome.
For some reason, we have heard a lot of people wishing they could turn back the hands of time, usually after their private indiscretions were placed in the public eye for all to judge and scrutinize.
In sports, no one likely received more heat for his actions than New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez.
After stating on national television that he had never used steroids or some type of human growth hormone (HGH), Rodriguez’s lies eventually caught up with him with help of a 2003 report that listed his name as one of the 104 Major League Baseball (MLB) players that tested positive for some sort of banned substance.
Day after day it seemed the Yankees’ third baseman received some sort of heat from the New York media as well as sports fans around the world. Though he lied, his apology opened the door for healing.
Rodriguez made the most of his opportunity, batting .286, hitting 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in during the 2009 season. Success sure makes people forget about past faults.
We’ve also seen our public servants scrutinized for their transgressions behind closed doors. Our own Gov. Mark Sanford spilled the details of an affair he was having with an Argentine woman after it was learned the Palmetto State’s chief executive was not in the country.
Among those that were in line to throw jabs at Sanford during his time of weakness was “Late Night Show” host David Letterman, adding him to a list of disgraced public figures whose missteps became the subject of jokes during segments of the broadcast.
Sanford’s ordeal put his marriage in peril and virtually ended any aspirations he had of potentially running for president in 2012. Meanwhile, Letterman’s show continued to achieve high ratings, much to the dismay of those he insulted in the moments they were most vulnerable.
I tell you, karma is something else.
A few months after taking shots at Sanford for his extramarital affairs, Letterman would make portions of his own private life public, revealing he had a relationship with an employee of the “Late Night Show.”
It’s a shame that these people, put on a pedestal with the help of voters or through fans viewing their shows on a regular basis, fell prey to their own lust. Even worse, their faults were unveiled in front of a national and international audience.
I pray each of these men can repair their images, being that I don’t wish the worst for anyone despite how I may feel for them or how they live their lives.
But these men succumbing to the sin of adultery only sheds light on a bigger problem in America, as it seems many couples no longer take their vows seriously.
Married adults now divorce more than twice as often as adults did 20 years ago and four times as often as they did 50 years ago, according to a 2005 study on families and intimate relationships. It is also estimated between 40 and 60 percent of all new marriages will end in divorce.
In my opinion, you have some who like the notion of being in love, but not ready for a lifelong commitment. However, they choose to embark on a journey together, not knowing the seriousness of the vows spoken on their wedding day.
Unfortunately, they are victims of the moment, not knowing their lives will change the moment they say “I do.” Living in the moment also makes one prone to mistakes, with many being made trying to scoop another cookie out the jar.
The single life is gone and two lives are meshed together as one, making the long nights out and hanging out with the “friends” of the opposite sex at inappropriate times of night a no-go.
Yes, temptation will always be there to try to throw a monkey wrench in a person’s goal of staying faithful to their mate. Though the merchandise may be very enticing, does it fill a void, or take care of your short and long term needs?
If not, it might be best to leave those goodies on the shelf … trust me, you won’t have to make up an excuse later.