Tom, thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment. And an extra thanks for being willing to open up about something as personal as your marriage and subsequent divorce.

You certainly do raise a very good point about the female side of things and the types of behaviors that can poison a relationship and leave a man feeling isolated, disrespected, and desperate for an escape. I didn't dive too much into that only because it isn't something that I've come across very often in my dealings with married men.

I think it may be that the men who are trapped in bad marriages and are being mistreated by their spouses don't often open up about it to strangers like myself, whereas the men who simply harbor fantasies of "being free" are more likely to seek validation from single guys like me because they can't find that validation anywhere else. They want me -- the single, middle-aged man living the life they fantasize about -- to tell them that they're right, that being single is definitely the way to go, and that life is a lot better without a ball and chain holding you back from living how you want to live!

Now I can't give them that validation because I don't agree with them. I think their fantasies are way off the mark, and that being single isn't all it's cracked up to be. But admittedly, if I had men coming up to me and sharing stories like the one you just shared -- stories about feeling isolated and demeaned and marginalized by unappreciative wives -- I would say that, yes, leaving their current lives and spouses behind and starting new lives as single men probably would be the best option on the table. Better that than remaining in a toxic situation that's unlikely to ever improve!

On that note, I am sincerely sorry about how things shook out with your previous marriage. And based on what you've told me, I think walking away and starting fresh was almost certainly the right call. I hope everything works out well for you in the long run, and that you will find (or have already found) the happiness you're looking for.

Thanks again for reading and commenting, and take care. I hope you had a good weekend!