I cannot believe this guy tried to have an "open" affair while he is raising four boys (or any children for that matter). Is there any wonder why children in this country turn out like they do? Many people with children have posted messages supporting this fantasy lifestyle. How sad is that? I feel sorry for any children who have to grow up in this state of confusion. Charles talked about this lifestyle being accepted in other cultures...Well, go live in another culture. Where this does exist in other cultures, it is both the husband AND wife who have other partners. Think you can handle that Charles? I don't think so. In America we call it adultery. No matter how cute people try to make it sound, "poly fidelity" and "poly amory" are nothing more than politically correct terms for cheating. Just because two people agree to it doesn't make it right if there are children involved. Unfortunately, they don't get to have input. Adults/parents are so seflish. They want to satisfy their lustful desires or fill their emotional lack with someone else at any costs...never mind what it teaches/does to their chidren.
It takes maturity, trust, SELF love, and respect to make a marriage work well. Cowards, such as Charles and others who turn to these "alternative" relationships, are too insecure, weak and selfish to try to make their marriages work. Instead, they go with the immediate self-gratification and throw their spouse and/or children to the wind just to have what they want. I have no respect for people who don't work on the most important relationship they have. And even less respect for the women and men who interfere and agree to be shared.
If these alternative lifestyles were so okay, people should make their wife/husband aware of their desire before they get married. They don't because it's something they make up along the way in order to avoid the messiness of a divorce and separation from their children.
Charles said he couldn't understand why he didn't leave. I know why. Charles didn't want to leave Tracy because he didn't want to pay alimony or child support for four kids. He knows that would have costed him dearly, and would have interfered with what he could afford to do with the other woman (the trophy he wanted on his arm). The fact that he told Tracy he wouldn't support her if she found another man is proof of his selfishness and arrogance. If he truly wanted a poly fidelity relationship, he would allow Tracy to find another partner as well.
I read the follow-up, and I don't believe he wants to or is really going to end his relationship with the mistress. If so, he would not have met with her four times to do so. His disrespect for Tracy is never-ending. I wish them well, but I don't think it's over for him. If not his current mistress, there will be someone else. If so Tracy, make sure you find a hot, sexy, LOVING man to share your life with as well.
Dr. Phil follows up with one of this year's most talked about couples: Charles and Tracy. Charles had been juggling his time between his wife and mistress. He wanted to have them both, so he came up with the perfect solution: polyfidelity, a relationship in which he is shared by the two women. Tracy says she can't express her anger over the affair because she doesn't know how. Will she fight for her rights for the first time in 20 years of marriage? Charles claims he said goodbye to the other woman, but why did it take four meetings? Is it "goodbye forever" or just "goodbye for now"? Plus, their oldest son speaks out about his father's behavior, and Tracy has a message for the other woman. Talk about the show here.
