by Eric Payne In our society mediocrity has become the norm. In this economy, hopeless-speak is just what we do. We want more and more; better for our kids yet they listen to us gripe all day long. Many of us get on our knees and pray to a God we cannot see, but won't even make eye-contact with let alone give a penny to, a homeless person stationed on the sidewalk in front … [Read more...]
What A Woman Wants Doesn’t Matter
by Eric Payne Near the end of 2010 I launched the guest blogger series, What A Single Woman Wants, as an opportunity to share with us, the married set, what people on the front lines of romance are seeking. I also wanted it to be a reminder to men who might be in a stagnant place in their relationships of what led the women in their lives to them in the first place. The … [Read more...]
On Why He (or She) Doesn't Listen
by Eric Payne As married people, there's only one thing we do more than breathe while living under the same roof. We talk or otherwise, communicate --- for better or worse. From the moment we open our eyes to the time that we close them we are actively engaged in making sure that the people with whom we share our lives and need to interact with understand us. Whether … [Read more...]
Wrapped Around Her Finger
by Eric Payne I don't exactly enjoy the pressure that comes with Valentine's Day. The reason: I try to live my life around the principles of love, for better or worse. Admittedly many times for I do it for the worse because by no means have I perfected my craft. But I go into each day with a loving, "Valentine's Day" attitude. So when it comes to February the 14th I feel … [Read more...]
BMWK Contributor Eric Payne Releases “Love Notes” In Time For Valentine’s Day
In Eric's own words: Love Notes is a collection of poems and short stories concentrating on the elusive and insanity causing thing called love --- of course, from the male perspective. It features a combined 18 poems and short stories that move you through misery and heartbreak to self-reflection, revelation and optimism to the ultimate destination: finding, securing and … [Read more...]
10 Things Wrong With You – In Your Marriage
by Eric Payne In December of 2010 I wrote the post "Why Can't We Just Get Along". It was an open letter to all. A lamentation over the friction that exists between the sexes and within marriages. Hopefully those who were impacted by it were able to contemplate areas that they need to address. But it should not remain a mere contemplation. What Got You Here Won't Get You … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Poynt-ing You In The Right Direction
by Eric Payne If you could house a bunch of apps the likes of the Weather Channel, Moviefone, Citysearch, The Find, Gas Stations and The Yellow Pages under the roof of one application, Poynt is it. It is a free, clean and simple GPS enabled app available for iPhone, Blackberry, Android and the new Windows Phone users. What differentiates this local search service … [Read more...]
Bring Your A-Game, For You
by Eric Payne I recently hosted a gathering at my home. During the festivities, I overheard two newly divorced women discussing life after marriage. Woman Number 1: "Everything became final in November." Woman Number 2: "Mine was finalized in May. Doesn't it feel good to be able to say that?" Woman Number 1: "Yeah, girl. I feel so free now. He saw me and was like, … [Read more...]
More Than A Man With A Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Eric Payne The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 "“ 1968) in many ways has been distilled and diluted down to his "I Have A Dream Speech." Between the pre-holiday commercials, cursory textbook coverage of the civil rights movement and the endless empty statements by aspiring beauty pageant queens, you'd think that all this civil rights visionary and leader … [Read more...]
The Man You Fell In Love With
by Eric Payne Recently my wife told me I'm not the man she fell in love with. I don't believe there's a man I know, happily married, divorced or otherwise who has lived with a woman for more than a few years and hasn't heard these words. This particular set of words can cut like a knife and may not bode well for the near and/or long-term future of a relationship. In spite … [Read more...]
Get Your “Good Morning†On!
by Eric Payne It's a new year and time to start things off on the right foot. And as a year is made up of 365 days the goal should be to have as many good days as possible. One of the easiest ways to start each day off on the "good foot" is to say "Good Morning" to your spouse. If you're a morning person like myself, it is downright insulting to awaken into a new day with … [Read more...]
Love Irresponsibly
by Eric Payne Since entering adulthood I've found myself being nostalgic at the end of every year. I contemplate what I've done, what I didn't do and what I possibly could've done more. Since getting married this year-end self-analysis has only intensified. I think back to the time when I loved irresponsibly. By irresponsible I don't mean promiscuous. I mean loving for … [Read more...]
Keep The Holiday Blues Off Your Shoulders
by Eric Payne Christmas is only days away and the New Year is just around the corner. Everywhere on television and the Internet someone is promoting the holidays for the sake of making a sale. The expectation in the air is peace, joy and love for all. This expectation switches on a couple weeks before Thanksgiving and kicks into high gear on Black Friday. There are many who … [Read more...]
3 Things A Woman Never Wants To Hear When She Finds Out She's Pregnant
by Eric Payne For many of us in the married lane, children, whether discussed at length or barely mentioned, are a foregone conclusion. After all we all got here somehow, right? Well for most men, the difference between the thought/strategy of having a child and finding out you actually are going to have one may as well be the distance between Earth and the Sun. God bless … [Read more...]
Why Can’t We Get Along?
by Eric Payne The subject of marriage, relationships or some combination of both has come up quite frequently in recent weeks and months. Both in the national media and in the blogosphere. There is the ever circulating story of the shortage of available "good" black men; there is the No Wedding No Womb movement; there was the recent USA Today Poll stating that nearly 40% of … [Read more...]