DECATUR -- A local resident, Phillip Mashaw, says he has come to the realization his wife does not really love him. This realization came to him, says Mashaw, when his wife forgot to serve him bread at dinner.
"We had the loveliest meal you could imagine. There was grilled steak and baked potatoes, along with fresh asparagus from the garden," says Mashaw, who spoke with a great deal of emotion. "Any sane person knows you don't eat that kind of meal without bread. I don't know what she was thinking. It wouldn't be so bad if it hadn't already happened several times prior to this."
Mr. Mashaw paused to collect his thoughts. "Don't get me wrong -- I love my wife. She takes good care of me. She cooks and sews and keeps the house nice. In fact, if it wasn't for the bread thing, I would have no doubts that my wife really loves me."
Mashaw hesitated for a moment before continuing, "But when your wife repeatedly forgets to serve bread at meal times, you don't have much choice. I was forced to conclude that she doesn't really love me."
As Mashaw spoke, a tear appeared at the corner of his eye and slid slowly down his cheek. Mashaw's emotional distress was evident to this reporter.
Dr. Froyd D. N. Slip, PhD., associate professor of marital studies at nearby University of Arkansas, agreed with Mashaw.
Contacted by phone, Dr. Slip had this to say, "We see this sometimes in marriages where the wife seems unable to empathize with her husband's need for bread at meal times. Studies show that for some men bread represents the sort of security that you can only get from Mom's home cooking, so for a wife to withhold bread is a very unloving act on her part. Such a cruel act speaks volumes for how a wife really feels about her husband."
Dr. Slip went on to say that, "...while it is true that some wives try to cover their true feelings by being good homemakers and cooks, the truth always come out and, when it does, bread is always at the heart of the issue. In cases like this, it is clear that the wife does not really love her husband."
Mashaw's sister-in-law, Peggy, who is a sister to his wife, agreed.
"Listen, I love my sister, but I know for a fact that she doesn't really love Phillip," Peggy said. "It's the bread -- she doesn't care for bread herself and really finds it hard to understand why other people have to have it practically every meal. She has often confided in me that she doesn't enjoy serving bread to Phillip. She says she is afraid it will make him fat, but I know the truth -- she simply doesn't love him. The whole family is aware of this. It is sad when you think about it."
At press time, Mashaw reported that he had found a way to address the problem. Mashaw said he buys bread from the grocery store and actually serves bread to himself at meal times.
"I just got tired of the pain," Mashaw said. "It was hurting me all the time. I realized that the best thing I could do would be to take care of my own needs by myself."
Mashaw maintains that he is willing to accept that his wife does not love him. He believes it is his duty to live peaceably with her and to keep a low profile.
"I'll just buy my own bread and be content with that," he said. "I think it is important to keep the peace and not make waves."
Mashaw's wife, who insisted on anonymity, declined to be interviewed for this article.
In an unrelated incident, a local woman inadvertently knocked her husband out of their pickup truck as she was searching for a piece of gum in the console. Although the husband, who was driving, was securely buckled in, his wife's persistent search for gum was enough to dislodge him from his seat. Details were sketchy at press time. It was unknown if the husband had been located or if he had sustained any injuries in the mishap. Needless to say, neither one of them enjoyed their gum.
Sam Byrnes is a Gentry-area resident and weekly contributor to the Eagle Observer. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 06/08/2016