Today I have to make a special mention of my darling wife Naomi, because today we celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. It has been ten years of fun (and frustration at times), moving house several times (including across hemispheres), coping with my transition from solder to student to lecturer, learning how to parent together, watching her go from being a married teenager to a married mum with three kids, and trips overseas. I've enjoyed the journey babe-o-rama and I look forward to ten more years of bliss with you. You are the answer to my prayers and I thank God for you my love!
In her honour, I give you my own translation of 1 Esdras 4 about the superiority of women:
"Gentlemen, the king is not great, men are not abundant, and wine is not strong? Who is it, then, that masters them, or lords it over them? Is it not women? Women give birth to the king and to all the people who reign over the sea and land. From women they all came forth, and it was women who brought up those men who plant the vineyards from which wine is produced. Women make men's clothes, men they give reputation, men are not even able to exist without women. If men collect gold and silver or any attractive thing, and then see a woman desirous in appearance and beauty, all those things they forge in order to gawk at her, with mouths wide open and stare at her, and her over all prefer gold or silver or any other attractive thing. A man leaves his own father, who raised him, and his own country, and clings to his own wife. With his wife he departs this life, with no remembrance of his father or mother or country. Therefore, you must surely recognize that women rule over you! "Do you not work and toile, and bring everything and give it to women? A man takes his sword, goes out to travel abroad and to raid and steal and to sail the sea and rivers, he faces lions, and he walks in darkness , and when he steals and plunders and Robs, he carries it back to the woman he loves. A man loves his own wife much more than his father or mother. Many men have lost their sense of mind because of women, and have become slaves because of them. Many have perish, or stumble, or sinner because of women. And then now, you do not believe me? "Is not the king great in his authority? All countries do not fear to touch him? Eleven o'clock and I saw him Apam, the king's mistress, the daughter of the eminent Bartacus, sitting at the right hand of the king and she took the crown from the head of the king and put it on her own head, and slap the king with her left hand. At this the king would stare at her with mouth wide open. If she smiles at him, he laughs, but if she should get angry with him, he humors her, so that she may be Reconcile to him. Gentlemen, women are not strong, since they do such things? "
"Gentlemen, the king is not great, men are not abundant, and wine is not strong? Who is it, then, that masters them, or lords it over them? Is it not women? Women give birth to the king and to all the people who reign over the sea and land. From women they all came forth, and it was women who brought up those men who plant the vineyards from which wine is produced. Women make men's clothes, men they give reputation, men are not even able to exist without women. If men collect gold and silver or any attractive thing, and then see a woman desirous in appearance and beauty, all those things they forge in order to gawk at her, with mouths wide open and stare at her, and her over all prefer gold or silver or any other attractive thing. A man leaves his own father, who raised him, and his own country, and clings to his own wife. With his wife he departs this life, with no remembrance of his father or mother or country. Therefore, you must surely recognize that women rule over you! "Do you not work and toile, and bring everything and give it to women? A man takes his sword, goes out to travel abroad and to raid and steal and to sail the sea and rivers, he faces lions, and he walks in darkness , and when he steals and plunders and Robs, he carries it back to the woman he loves. A man loves his own wife much more than his father or mother. Many men have lost their sense of mind because of women, and have become slaves because of them. Many have perish, or stumble, or sinner because of women. And then now, you do not believe me? "Is not the king great in his authority? All countries do not fear to touch him? Eleven o'clock and I saw him Apam, the king's mistress, the daughter of the eminent Bartacus, sitting at the right hand of the king and she took the crown from the head of the king and put it on her own head, and slap the king with her left hand. At this the king would stare at her with mouth wide open. If she smiles at him, he laughs, but if she should get angry with him, he humors her, so that she may be Reconcile to him. Gentlemen, women are not strong, since they do such things? "
