CARRIE & GEOFF—‘WHAT WOMAN WOULD NOT WANT TO BE A QUEEN?

(Note: In this fifth part of an occasional series, Carrie details her increasing delight and satisfaction with the wife-led lifestyle at the half-year mark.—Mark Remond)

Hi Mark, Well we have now passed the six-month mark in our FLR lifestyle and it just keeps getting better. So good, in fact, that I thought I would start this post with a question: “What woman would not want to be a Queen?”

In the six months I have been the Queen of our lifestyle, I have experienced more happiness than I thought possible. My wonderful husband Geoff has dedicated his life to serving me and making me happy. In public he is my knight in shining armour, helping me whenever I go shopping, by pushing my trolley or carrying my parcels. He is there to serve me and protect me. At home, when we have guests, he is my servant and waits on my every request. I love ordering him to make me a drink when we are with friends, as all the other wives look on with envy. We haven’t told them our secret as they would feel more envious.

At home when we are alone, Geoff is my slave and comes under my complete power and control. Failure to obey any of my commands results in serious punishment with the riding crop. So far I have only had to use it a couple of times, and it certainly gets his attention!

The only command he is slow to respond to is when I order him to get out of bed. You have to understand that each morning we have cuddling with stimulation, and he is reluctant to stop cuddling, touching, and caressing me. I like to see him squirm when he has to stop touching me, so I don’t punish him for being slow.

The really nice thing while we cuddle is that my slave tells me his innermost thoughts and feelings, and promises his continuing commitment to love and serve me. He loves to slowly run his hands over my body, oftentimes resulting in an orgasm for me, and he gives me body massages as well. If I was a cat, I would be purring!

After rising, my slave prepares my breakfast. He always does the dishes, and sometimes I will wipe up if I am in a generous mood. Besides keeping the kitchen tidy, my slave does most of the housework, and all the washing and ironing. He loves to do odd jobs around the house and not tell me, instead waiting to see how long it takes for me to notice.

He bathes me every night, and creams and massages my legs when requested, and paints my toenails. He says he loves it when I use my power and control on him. Having so much power and control over the man I love is quite intoxicating. Being placed on a pedestal and worshipped is a wonderful feeling. All the years of our vanilla marriage, I had no idea how happy and wonderful it could be! To be loved and cherished every hour of every day is hard to put into words, but it is intoxicating. I am no longer tired, my libido has reignited, and I’m having more orgasms than ever before. I only allow my slave an orgasm once a week, or longer if I choose. This keeps him fully charged and focused on me and my desires.

Not Carrie's chair, juts an image!

Recently my slave made me a “Queening Chair” to give me extra pleasure, and I can fully recommend it for anyone considering it. I made an extra cushion to put on top of the chair. This cushion has a skirt that covers the chair, so I can use it as a seat at my dressing table and nobody knows its true function.

This lifestyle is unbelievably good, and it just keeps getting better and better. I’m still getting used to having all this power, but I’m feeling more comfortable with it, and love using it.

My slave tells me that he can’t stop thinking about me and says he is now totally addicted to me, serving me, pleasing me, and giving me pleasure. Each morning he asks me how can he serve me that day. He also loves it when I command him to wear one of our sex toys, as a constant reminder of my power and control over him. Each time I see his gold glans ring, I’m reminded of his commitment and submission to me, and I feel pleased.

There is no way I would EVER consider going back to our previous lifestyle. So again I ask, “What woman would not want to be a Queen?”

Regards,

Carrie, Queen of Geoff

(Postscript from Mark Remond: Carrie and Geoff have expressed interest in making contact with Australian couples living the FLR lifestyle, with a view to meeting, talking, and learning in a strictly social way. Interested couples can email me, markremond@gmail.com, and I will forward all respectful inquiries to Carrie and Geoff.)

dennis: SERVING MS. BROWN, PART 3 – TYPING AND SHORTHAND

One of the skills that makes me valuable to Carol and the other Women on staff is my ability to write (or “take”) shorthand. Shorthand is an abbreviated way of writing and one can literally record hundreds of words per minute and do so very accurately. It’s obvious how valuable this skill is in business, whether keeping record of a business meeting or taking dictation.

(As a young newspaper reporter, Charles Dickens taught himself shorthand and used it to take down verbatim accounts of political meetings, and later to capture the colorful dialects and dialogue that filled his novels.) One would think that this skill would be widespread, but it isn’t, alas; in fact, i’d guess it’s almost a lost art today. In the past it was mostly secretaries and stenographers – the vast majority of whom were Women -– who had this skill.

When I was in high school, my Mom was wise indeed and petitioned the school administrators to allow me to take typing and shorthand in place of the machine shop and drafting classes. i was college-bound and She realized the value of both these skills in a college environment. But even She could never have realized how valuable they’d prove to me in a business environment! So, i enrolled, although i was ridiculed by my classmates, some of whom inquired whether i’d be taking home-economics, too. Taking these courses took me outside the norm...

Well, i had the last laugh, since shorthand and typing have been amazingly useful to me. Not only does shorthand allow me to take accurate notes but it uses a script that is so unique to an individual, that it’s much like encryption – It’s not only fast and efficient, but almost secret! The stereotypical shorthand taker is a 1960s - 70s Woman, often depicted sitting on Her boss’ lap, the tops of Her nylons visible below Her hiked-up skirt, “steno” book in hand, taking dictation. But i’ve known a number of men wise enough to use it to their own and their Female boss’ advantage. And it’s secret in another way, too; unless someone looks at your notes, they’ll never know you’re using shorthand. A little consolation for guys who fear being accused of ‘writing like a lady’! Yes, i’ve been accused of this – patriarchy is easily threatened! For those of us who use shorthand, we consider it provides a real advantage to the business-person; think about it, how valuable are accurate and complete notes?

 

Just as Mom had predicted, typing and shorthand were useful in college, too, where i was again ridiculed for both. Last laugh again, good notes and professional papers were invaluable to my academic performance and my subsequently securing a full scholarship. And typing grew to be much more, for it morphed into “keyboarding,” a necessary skill for efficiently writing software! i’m still laughing!

Are my skills valued? They certainly are! Any time Carol loans ‘Her bitch’ to another Female staff member, it’s likely that staff member wants to employ my shorthand skills to record a meeting and my typing skills to type the notes of that meeting.

It’s nice to be appreciated!

dennis: RESPONDING TO 'AWAKENED HUSBAND'

(Note from Mark Remond: Awakened Husband’s comment to SERVING MS. BROWN, PT. 2, has elicited strong responses from other readers. Now dennis adds his response.)

Comment from ‘Awakened Husband’: “You mentioned this is a software company. Do women do the technical I.T. work, and are there women programmers? This is interesting because historically, the one strike against feminism has been that women do not seem to show any sincere interest in the physical sciences and technical disciplines. This makes women put themselves at a disadvantage when they go up against a male in this area, not to mention they come across as only wanting the big pay check and not really having any passion for the engineering side of things. Or is the company attitude along the lines of "Its not the engineering that makes the money, its the marketing and intellectual property structures", which of course would be dominated by women?”

*

Dennis responds:

i was amazed by the narrow-minded, ill-informed, misogynistic nature of your comments. Awakened husband, indeed! i will respond to each of your erroneous assertions as follows:

“You mentioned this is a software company. Do women do the technical I.T. work, and are there women programmers?”

Yes, it is a Woman-owned company, and Women fully participate in the daily work of this company, including programming, engineering, and IT work.

 If Women haven’t participated more fully in the pas,t it’s largely due to their being steered into traditionally Female areas such as care-giving, soft sciences, etc. Men on the other hand have been driven to do work in engineering and technology.  It’s patriarchy at work, preserving the male-dominated status quo by steering talented Women away from STEM fields. Our company partners with a local university to recruit Women into engineering and IT and to fully support them once they go down that academic path. We provide scholarships, grants, mentoring, and intern opportunities. Afterward we recruit Women into our ranks and support them when they join. Carol, our CEO, transformed our company from one run by a good-old-boy network to one where Women have opportunities in hi-tech. So, do we have Women programmers? Yes, we do and by many measures they outperform their male counterparts. How do we know? We have measures; the margin on Woman-run projects is higher; employee satisfaction on Woman-run projects and in Woman-run departments is higher. Women are seen as being more inclusive and this is by both men and Women.

“This is interesting because historically, the one strike against feminism has been that women do not seem to show any sincere interest in the physical sciences and technical disciplines.”

Strike against Feminism! You are kidding? Numerous studies have shown a pervasive attitude in society that has directed Women away from science and engineering into traditionally Female areas such a care-giving, homemaking, secretarial and administrative tasks. And i can argue, too, that men have been steered away from traditionally Female occupations such as homemaking by the same prejudicial thinking and by the fact that Female-dominated occupations traditionally pay less… And, guess what? When we sought to enhance the situation of our clerical and administrative staff when Carol first took over the company by raising salaries, we had a huge inrush of applications for these positions – from male applicants! This is good, of course, because it’s helping take down gender stereotypes. So, don’t tell me that Women aren’t interested when they have been systematically dissuaded and the same for men who otherwise might have desired to pursue a traditionally Female career.

“This makes women put themselves at a disadvantage when they go up against a male in this area, not to mention they come across as only wanting the big pay check and not really having any passion for the engineering side of things.”

Pure crap! Our experience – note some of our metrics, above – are that Women are at no disadvantage whatsoever – in fact, it may be the opposite. Women are seen as more effective leaders, as being more inclusive, and being more culturally sensitive. If you want a technical measure, surveys of our customers show us that usability is higher on Female-led projects. This is telling us that we need more Women in control of projects at a higher level. We’re positioning two high-performing Women – yes, they write software, oh my! – for roles as system architects who will be charged with driving things like standards, look and feel, usability, etc.

As far as “only wanting the big paycheck and not really having passion for the engineering side of things,” again, are you kidding? We work to earn our way in the world so our compensation is a part of any career choice. Science jobs pay well because of the skills required and limited number of graduates in these fields. We’re all Feminists here and realize that economic empowerment emancipates Women. In other words, Women don’t have to take orders from narrow-minded patriarchs if they have well paying careers. Is your “passion” going to keep you at your current company if your salary is suddenly cut in half?

“Or is the company attitude along the lines of ‘It’s not the engineering that makes the money, it’s the marketing and intellectual property structures,’ which of course would be dominated by women?”

It’s the job of a company to make money or contribute to its doing so across the board – we need to be good in all areas so I’m not quite sure what you are getting at. We actively recruit Women because they greatly help our business and because we have a strong Feminist philosophy. We believe that if Women are going to reach their full potential they are going to have to be economically independent, and this means they are going to need to fully participate in science, engineering, and IT. We’ve committed to helping them get there – to their benefit and ours.

dennis: SERVING MS. BROWN, PART 2

(dennis continues his narrative of what he calls a “composite day” working for his boss, Carol.—Mark Remond)

 What goes on in a “bitch’s” typical day? Plenty! So let’s get started…

Arrive at office, check Carol’s email and respond where Her input is not specifically needed.

Clean the kitchenette, make coffee, unload the dishwasher, put away cups and saucers.

Set up cups, saucers, cream and sugar in the board room in anticipation of staff meeting this morning.

Get the mail, gathering that which specifically needs Her attention; take care of the rest.

 

Catch up on filing, then order office supplies.

Clean and polish the two pair of heels She keeps in the office; She broke a heel once so spare shoes are worthwhile insurance. i check that we have sundries, just in case – things like nail files, hand cream, a few pairs of earrings, pantyhose, and so on. Little things that She just might need.

In anticipation of an executive board meeting, check the board room, making sure the writing boards are cleaned and the AV is operational; for good measure i use the feather duster to make sure the room is in top shape for the seven demanding Women who will soon be gathering there; they accept nothing less than excellence!

Review my reports in preparation for the executive board meeting. Yes, I have operational responsibilities and participate in the meeting.

Go to the parking deck to meet and greet Carol. “Good morning, Ms. Brown,” i say as She points an authoritative finger and hands me Her keys. “Yes, Ma’am,” i respond, fully understanding that Her car needs fuel and a wash and that Her dry-cleaning needs to be tended to – my lunch time task.

i start to ask Her a question about my lunchtime chores, but She as no patience for questions. “Just do it, bitch,” She interjects, cutting me off. “Yes, Ma’am!” Enough said!

 i locate Her heels in Her totebag and place them on the ground next to Her open door. She steps into the 3-inch taupe slingbacks, leaving me to tend to the low heels She just took off. Carol drives in low heels but wouldn’t think of wearing anything lower than a 3-inch heel for business. High heels equate to power, and Carol wants that power! i put Her low heel shoes into the tote, making a mental note to clean and shine them at some point during the day.

i put Her purse over my shoulder, Gather Her bags, and follow Her into the office, staying with Her but a step behind. The sound of Carol’s heels on the hard floor sets a cadence for the day’s business and announces that authority is approaching. Men gathered around a coffee machine scatter like flies. Two other men call out to Her, “Good morning, Ms. Brown!” She nods and smiles.

Two Women approach.“Good morning, Carol.” Smiling, Carol responds, “Good morning Leslie and Judy.” Both women are members of  our leadership development program. Carol comments to me that She appreciated the respectful way She was greeted by the two men. “I’m glad you took care of that,” She says, referring to a few past situations where proper decorum wasn’t observed. “Yes, Ma’am,” i respond, adding that the expectation of proper respect for Women has been communicated companywide. Women, regardless of level or company service, are addressed as “Ma’am” and groups of Women as “Ladies.” This may sound trite, but in a company that was previously run by a good-old-boy network and that rarely promoted Women, even very qualified Women, culture change is difficult and we are in the midst of a lot of it.

Before arriving at Her office suite Carol stops to talk with two Women. i respectfully greet them – “Good morning, Ladies” – and then stay a respectful distance back while they complete their conversation. i continue to hold Carol’s purse and bags – putting them down would not be respectful. As the conversation continues, another Woman, one of our administrative assistants, walks down the hall with a mesmerizing cadence of high heels on the hard floors. She encounters one of our recently hired young men clearly anxious to help Her; he leaves with an armful of copying She needs done, leaving Her to do other tasks or simply to enjoy a cup of coffee. Culture change is working!

As we step into Carol’s office suite, i take Her jacket to hang, noting the need to steam it and decide to do so; i have a steamer and an iron in a back room and frequently freshen Her wardrobe. i inform Her just in case She looks for the jacket, but She has very little patience with me – “Just do it, bitch! Why do I have to be involved?” As i put Her tote away, i remember Her low heels and set them aside for a cleaning and polishing; again, i consider this as a part of my job and i have the necessary supplies. While Carol sits down to peruse Her paper, i serve coffee and put the board meeting agenda in front of Her. Then i hang up Her coat and put away Her totebag.

i manage Carol’s calls and appointments. When Her first call comes in, i answer and immediately deem it a low priority; it’s something i can handle myself or hand off but isn’t worthy of Carol’s attention. “i’m sorry but Ms. Brown is very busy right now, may i take a message?” i’ll tend to this issue later, but only because the caller was a Woman. Otherwise i wold have handed it off or ignored it. Responding to Female staff is a great way to break from the practices of the past and empower Women.

i greet the Women as they arrive for the executive board meeting – “Good morning, Ms. Jones!” Proper decorum is a must, and my preference is always to address Women formally, even though many of these Women allow me to use their first name. It’s a powerful group of Women, all company owners, and They deserve to be treated with special respect and deference. As each arrives i ask whether she’d like her usual beverage or something else. While we do serve the Women, tom and i are also board members, so we’re soon engaged in business conversations.

The board is assembled, and i greet them as a group – “Good morning Ladies, Carol will be in shortly. In the mean time may i refill your coffee cups?” Carol enters a few minutes later and the meeting begins.

(To be continued…)

dennis: SERVING MS. BROWN

i’m Carol’s chief of staff – or bitch, if you will – taking care of both complex business tasks as well as performing the menial and routine tasks that need doing but are far below any Woman’s doing, let alone a Woman of Carol’s stature. Carol joined the company when it was owned by a large conglomerate and run by the good old boys who, incidentally, both She and i, as militant Feminists, despised. Recognizing Her talent, i mentored Her and as She rose through the ranks to eventually become one of a group of Women who would buy the company, turning it into a Woman-owned and Woman-run business,  i rose with Her, but as Her subordinate. My friend, tom, had a similar situation, and today we are the only two men in staff management although neither of us has the title of executive. Carol is building a Woman-run software powerhouse in an industry that is anything but.

 

My job is to do whatever She tells me to do and to do it efficiently and flawlessly, but for the most part i handle the daily routine without much supervision from Carol. Given their usual interface with me, most people see me as Carol’s administrative assistant, Her secretary, Her bimbo. And, yes, i do have all those roles but i do much more, most of it only seen by our executive staff. i have a routine of work that includes overseeing technology planning for our business, organizing and attending Her meetings, managing Her schedule, capturing meeting notes, overseeing Her new hire-and-mentoring programs for upwardly mobile Women in our company, and accompanying Her on out-of-town trips to check on our field offices.

And then there are all of the little things that Carol needs done. These tasks include making and serving coffee, keeping Her office clean, fueling and washing Her car, fetching Her dry cleaning, running errands, making sure fresh flowers are on Her desk, shopping, and even ironing whenever She needs an outfit touched up before a meeting or when we’re traveling.

When needed, i openly illustrate my deference to Her as an example of how staff should treat this powerful Woman – “Yes, Ma’am,” “Yes, Ms. Brown!” – and if staff doesn’t get the picture, i inform them very directly. i often serve as Carol’s escort at business functions, making sure She is always looked after and always informed. i know She needs to project confidence, power, and authority, and I am proud and privileged to help Her do exactly that. And i know She likes a differential male at Her side, taking orders, fulfilling requests, and keeping track of conversations and commitments; these functions are beneficial, of course, but so is my subtle show of deference, very important in a company that has a history of men-in-charge.

i arrange evenings out for Carol when we travel, providing dinners, entertainment, and diversions. i’ve been by Her side for years and know Her sizes, color and style preferences, favorite perfume, preferred wines and mixed drink, and the cuisines that please Her, and i know Her husband, family, women-friends, and boyfriends. i know Her plans, strategies, and tribulations; and i know when to loudly cheer Her and when to softly whisper in Her ear.

And then there are the times – few and far between – where i’ve taken a hit for Carol. On one occasion in our old male-run company, She made errors in a report and was taken to task by an overbearing male manager who was of the old school and didn’t want to see Carol make it. i stepped forward very publicly and took the blame, all of it – and the punishment – for the error. Carol appreciated what i did and that i did it in what was a male-run bastion of patriarchy; She knew that in doing so i endangered my own career . It was a demonstration of my loyalty to Her and one that i would repeat again if ever needed. Carol is one hell of a

Woman, and i’m pleased to serve Her as i do.

–d

dennis: A NEW, POSITIVE FLR SPIN FOR AN OLD, SEXIST TERM

dennis,

I wondered if the “bitch” term (in your “Reply TO CHLOË’S COMMENT ON REVEALING FEMALE AUTHORITY”) was used with anyone present who was not in the lifestyle. If it was, it would seem a little harsh to those not in the know.

--Bill

Bill,

Yes, the term” bitch” might seem a little harsh to some, but i’m hearing it used more and more these days in a very different context than what you might think. In this new advanced FLR context, “bitch” is becoming a compliment. Let me explain:

My Boss, Carol, recently introduced me to a group of Her Female Colleagues as “my bitch,” and no one seemed disturbed or uncomfortable, me included. Subsequently Carol has told one of Her Colleagues (in my hearing) to, “Call my bitch, and he’ll make arrangements” – referring to my setting up a meeting. Another Woman executive asked Carol, “Can I borrow your bitch?” for some complicated reporting tasks.

 

As you’ll see below, increasingly bitch is taken as a real compliment to males who relish their subordinate-to-Women status. Frankly, i’m happy to be Carol’s bitch. Carol is an executive, and being Her bitch means that She:

§  Trusts me with tasks ranging from the trivial  (i have a cup of coffee on Her desk in the morning) to the complex (i do complex reports and analyses for Her)

§  Is confident in my abilities

§  Confides in me and knows i’ll NEVER violate Her confidence

§  Trusts me with details of Her business and personal life

§  Knows that i’m watching Her back, anticipating Her needs, and getting things done for Her

§  Is confident that my work loyalty is to Her and Her alone

§  Can count on me to be Her eyes and ears in our organization; i tell Her what’s happening

§  Knows i advocate for Her in every situation i find myself

§  Appreciates that i’ll always be giving Her credit for successes

§  Takes comfort in my taking blame when things go wrong

§  Can give me the dirty jobs and know i’ll carry them out to the letter

§  Knows i’m a vocal activist on Feminist issues

§  Is able to delegate tasks and power to me, knowing i will accomplish what She wants

§  Sees me as one of the “girls” and not one of the “guys”

§  Knows i care about Her and want Her to be successful

§  Will always find Her coffee cup filled, Her car warm, and Her briefcase and tote bag in the trunk

§  Can count on me for the little things – cleaning Her house, taking and picking up Her dry cleaning, pressing Her blouse when we’re on a business trip

In this specialized context, you see, “bitch” is one of those wonderful words that has multiple meanings: the pejorative term has been purposefully rehabilitated it, so that, if capitalized (according to the Feminist spelling), it refers to a strong, assertive, and vocal Woman. Similarly, “bitch” can also refer to a Woman’s articulating Her views, usually to the discomfort of men, i.e. “bitching.”

But, when lowercase, “bitch” is being expanded today in some FLR circles as a colloquial term for a very capable administrative assistant. Thus my boss Carol referring to me as Her bitch is meant, and taken, as a real compliment; my title of “her bitch” is earned. and i’m damn proud of it. Yes, bitch can be Female (Bitch) or male (bitch). So, in a sense, we’re both (B)bitches and equally damn proud of the name!

--d

dennis: REPLY TO CHLOË’S COMMENT ON REVEALING FEMALE AUTHORITY

Chloë: Since my fiancé told me he wanted to take more control, it has been a steady increase in control over the household, which has in turn led to conversations in which it simply comes up. When a friend asked me to come to her daughter’s recital with her, I simply told her we would be there, telling my fiancé that’s what we were doing. Simple things such as being released from chores, being praised and lovingly supported by an obedient husband just keep coming up in conversation. This lifestyle has become steadily more gratifying, and I feel like I have a “little man,” as a previous post on this website has shown me. But eventually it just comes out, because people have expectations, and when you say, “No, actually, we can have it at my place, I’ll tell the little man to make something,” peoples’ heads turn. Also, as we are nearing our wedding, my fiancé said that since they are my values, he thinks we should use my name as our family name.

dennis replies:

Dearest Chloe,

Thank for Your comments. Yes, it’s true, as a couple moves down the path of a Female Led Relationship, the lifestyle just becomes entwined with the daily tasks of living, and so, too, does it become entwined in our conversations and interactions with others. Word gets out and others soon realize the special relationship that the FLR couple has, and, more importantly, they realize the authority the Woman has.

As a Woman assumes more authority, She may refer to her husband in a way that better reflects Her authority and his subordination. You’ve adopted “little man,” my friend tom’s Wife refers to him as Her “boi,” and Nancy and Sue often refer to me as their “bitch” as in “I’ll have my bitch take care of it.” My Boss, Carol, uses “bitch,” too and has introduced me to Female colleagues as, “This is my bitch, dennis.” “Boi,” “bitch,” and “little man” are the most common ways we see submissive gentlemen referred to. Not only are they in line with an FLR, but many Women in the lifestyle understand their significance and are comfortable these terms in conversation and in applying them to their own relationships. What the Women whom I’ve met in FLRs don’t seem to feel comfortable with are using “sissy” or “slave” to describe their husbands, as these terms, though usually attributed to submissive relationships, don’t lend themselves to practical use.

In addition to being Nancy’s “bitch,” at home i’m also sometimes called “Suzie-Q,” a nickname that has been bestowed on me by the Women of the family. As a result, many close friends and family have long since stopped calling me dennis; it’s Suzi-Q who gets letters, cards, and packages. A number of Women we know in FLRs have assigned names to their submissive male partners, either pet names or “bitch names.” For instance, my friend tom is also known as “Tootsie.”

Finally, Chloë,  if your fiancé desires to take Your name in marriage, and You feel he is deserving of the privilege – and it is a privilege – then by all means do so! It is a beautiful sign of your authority and of his commitment. Nancy and i wrote a post for this blog a long time ago that had advice for a man taking the Woman’s name in marriage; you might want to look for that post. In our patriarchal society it’s easy for a Woman to take a man’s name in marriage, but going the other way, the man taking Her name, can be very complicated depending on local laws. Consult a lawyer to discuss your specifics. One nice touch that we recommend is that after the marriage, he hyphenate his “maiden” name with yours, dennis smith-Richards, for example. Hyphenation is a way Women, particularly professional Women, transition to a man’s name, eventually dropping Hers. Most Women we know elect either to keep their name outright or maintain hyphenation. For a Woman hyphenation proclaims Her independence. For a man hyphenation proclaims his commitment to his Wife.

We’re absolutely delighted that you are moving down the path of an FLR and that your “little man” is so willing to travel that path. Please let us know if you decide to allow your fiancé to take you name in marriage.

--d