You'd think the world had ended. You would think that the institution of marriage had been dealt a blow from which it will not easily recover ( I am rooting for that one), you'd think they had personally snubbed their collective thumbs at the rest of us, betrayed their children, lied to us for years, cheated and tricked us. Columnists are on the verge of tears, mystified by the idea that after 40 years, these two couldn't just have limped across the finish line - FOR US godammit if not for themselves. And a few have allowed themselves the naughty expression of 'How did the Clintons stay together and not the Gores?' There is talk of the 'failure' of this marriage, questions of 'what went wrong?', is there an affair in the shadows, a bad habit that Tipper finally had enough of, was she sick of sharing him with an increasingly obsessive lover called Mother Earth?
This was by ANY standards and by any measurement a phenomenally successful marriage, of two people who appeared to meet the needs of the other through some fairly major challenges - including the battles of his political life, the near death of their son after being hit by a car, and Tipper's efforts to forge an independent identity separate from her husband. They raised children, they are grandparents, they have lives still to live at 60 plus. But to hear the outrage, it is as if the 40 years are not a success but simply the prelude to failure.
I have never been much of an Al Gore fan. Doesn't matter. I have always liked Tipper's photography. She was far more interesting to me than he was. Though I was disappointed in her formation of the Parents Music Resource Center in the mid 80's when she is quoted as saying "the change in rock music was attributable to the decay of the nuclear family in America".
Perhaps the real answer to why Tipper and Al decided to part amicably after 40 years is that simple. She started listening to all the rock music she didn't allow her kids to hear....
Bottom line - they had a phenomenal run and showed in many ways exactly what a 'successful' marriage could be. And at least, unlike most politicians, they decided to separate BEFORE having sex with someone else. Tipper and Al - I for one, salute you!
Jill - As always, you are insightful & great fun to read. Forty years & still friends while making a transition this major...I salute them, too. (& I salute you for continuing to diss the so-called sacred tradition of marriage...)
much love, Hsppy
Posted by: Happy | June 02, 2010 at 10:50 PM
ditto
i've always wondered why endings make people question the whole thing. as if it was not "successful" if it ended. we don't say that when people (and pets) die. why when "marriages" end?
susie
Posted by: susie | June 03, 2010 at 06:31 PM