B E B E R E

This one goes out to all my overeducated girlfriends overlooking the undereducated Mr.s Right right under their noses.

Elouise

I know you been to college
I can tell by how you walk
I know you been to college
I can tell by how you talk.
Take off those glasses girl,
Let me feel your pain.
Take off those glasses girl,
I wanna feel your pain.

Elouise, Elouise, Elouise,
Where on Earth you goin'?

Been down to the gym, tryin' to be all I can be.
A little discipline's all you really need.
Got a condo in Modesto with a heated swimming pool
Talkin' condo in Modesto with a heated swimming pool...

Elouise, Elouise, Elouise,
I wanna take you higher...

Tell me true,
Are you where you wanna be?
Are you ready to be challenged
Are you ready to be free?
Free to make the kind of life I know that you deserve
Free to make the kind of life
I think you know what I'm talking about

Elouise, Elouise, Elouise
Where on earth you going...

-Chuck Prophet

***

A lot of talk about the education gap between men and women seemed to focus on the issue of women not being able to find men who were their educational or intellectual equals. I guess that this could be a problem if you're treating finding a partner like interviewing job candidates. Otherwise, I don't see an issue (aside from the obvious problem of men getting shortchanged by the educational system).

All these odd, Keeping-Up-With-the-Joneses criteria that women (and a lot of men here in the northeast) keep coming up with make me wonder sometimes. Why keep putting up barriers between yourself and possible happiness? Who cares if he drives a garbage truck, works for UPS, owns a convenience store? Do you feel safe, protected, secure when you're with him? Does he make you feel special? Do you feel like you could talk and talk with him and never run out of things to say? Can you be comfortably silent with him? Does he love your children if you have any?

Some of my happiest girlfriends got over the marrying below them thing. So their guys might not have the same educational background as they do, that's only one (relatively small) aspect that can be overlooked pretty easily in the scheme of things. For them, it's not about being equal in everything so much as being complementary.

***

I forgot about the sense of humor thing. He's got to have a sense of humor that jibes with yours. Then it doesn't matter if he's way smarter than you are, even.