I like Dina over at ThisMarriageThing.com – I participate there as well as in her discussion group at TeeBeeDee.com. It’s all about marriage from the Baby Boomer generation’s perspective.
Dina and I had an interesting conversation a couple of weeks ago about her tagline, It Doesn’t Have to Suck. I asked her what message she thinks it sends. As a marketing tactic, I find it pretty good. It’s catchy, easy to remember. In terms of her blog’s message, however, I think it sets a negative context for the conversation.
Rather than merely acknowledging a problem exists, could we not instead present a solution?
I think a tagline that moves the discussion forward with positive words like “marriage is…” or “marriage does…” would be more conducive to a helpful discussion. Maybe even do away with is or does, and use a more active verb like “seeks,” “rocks,” or “celebrates.”
It’s a subtle distinction and perhaps I’m being a bit nitpicky, but I think that the frame of reference for marriage is all messed up for many people and we need to re-frame the discussion.
The Power of Positive Thought
The power of thoughts has been a subject that fascinated me for a long time. People feel, do, and become what they think. I recommend reading James Allen’s excellent essay As A Man Thinketh and, for those of you with a hard science bent, take a look at the recent cult hit What the Bleep do We Know?
One of the reasons that I started A Good Husband is that there is so much negative attention on the role of husbands and men in society. I hope that I can always maintain an air of positivity. It frames the very nature of the discussion.
I’d be interested in hearing from some of the other internet husbands that I admire, like Dad Balance and Be A Good Dad.
