[Xthe17th]

The other day I was filling out some insurance paperwork on a 40 year old female client (overweight, divorced with a 13 year old daughter) of mine. The question of beneficiary came up and she listed her husband. Birthdate: 1977. I kind of chucked to myself as I did the mental calculation and thought, "poor kid." Yep, sometimes they like 'em young, but afterall, women statistically outlive men.

[ChemistCat]

14 is too young to marry in today's society, but that wasn't always so. History is full of tales, few recent, of boys that age doing the work of men. A 14-year-old wasn't always the spoiled, materialistic overgrown infant we see around us so much. Dave Barry's most recent column reminds me that there was a time when mid-teenagers could be trusted without direct adult supervision.

I also know a woman married to a man 20 years younger than she is. They sure got a lot of flack when they married...20 happy years ago. They're good for each other. Of course, he was in his 20s, not his teens, when they married. THAT makes a huge difference.

I suspect these parents have found a way to have someone else support their kid. Sad. But they're legal now.