Do You Want to Marry Donald Trump?

Good morning!

When many of us think about riches, we think about being the person who has the riches . . . whether as a ruler (like the Sultan of Brunei), a national figure (like Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain), a recording star (Barbra Streisand), a film producer and director (George Lucas), a sports star (Tiger Woods), or as a just plain old billionaire (members of Sam Walton's family).

Step back for a moment and think more broadly. What would it be like to be married to one of these people? If you are a woman, I suggest you imagine being married to The Donald (Donald Trump, if you're not used to that reference which is popular in mid-Manhattan) . . . and if you are a man, pick someone you think could be challenging (Elizabeth Taylor perhaps for the senior set, Madonna for the middle aged, and any volatile young actress for younger men).

I thought about this the other day when a publisher turned down my book because she felt that The Donald had said it all when it came to billionaires. I was surprised by that reaction. His books aren't selling well. Many people slam his latest offering. His casinos are just emerging from another round of perpetual bankruptcy. And that hairdo! Can you imagine anyone picking that look who had a choice? Talk about bad hair days.

I thought about The Donald in another light as those memories flooded my mind.

His second wife was an entertainer named Marla Maples. Before she and the Donald tied the knot, Ms. Maples was appearing in a Broadway show. As is my practice when I'm in New York with no business appointments and no family occasions in the evenings, I went to the TKTS booth in Times Square and bought a half price ticket to the show. Now, I didn't buy the ticket to see Ms. Maples, I bought it because I wanted to see the show . . . and it was right across the street so I didn't have to walk far.

In an opening number, Ms. Maples (who was tall, blonde and skinny) appeared on stage in a buckskin-fringed little outfit that mainly showed lots of what she wasn't wearing. She gyrated, wiggled and smiled frantically . . . seeming to be energized by her task. At one point, she paid particular attention in one direction. Then, I noticed what she was looking at. The Donald was there, and he was beaming. That reminded me that she had been quoted in some article or other as saying something like having sex with The Donald was the best ever. It was a definite junior high school moment.

You may recall that Ms. Maples signed a prenuptial agreement that limited her to something like a million dollars if they divorced within a few years. Sure enough, weeks before the deadline . . . The Donald dumped her.

Would you have enjoyed being the second Mrs. Donald Trump? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Many people are encouraged by their families to marry for money. Did you ever hear that at home?

I suggest you think a different way. Marry someone wonderful . . . who will encourage you to fulfill your dreams and develop your talents. And take the time to learn how to live better than a billionaire on five dollars extra a day. It's got to be better than being married to a wealthy person who may act like an adolescent because their money protects them from the consequences of their childishness.

What do you think?

If Ms. Maples reads this, I hope she will comment. She's the expert, after all.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

This blog's entries begin on May 14, 2005. By reading backward through the prior posts, you will eventually see an index to all the posts. You can achieve the same result by clicking on the button for the May 2005 archive of my posts which can be found in the right hand column.

Be sure to check out my blog dated May 16, 2005 on how to plan Your Dad's Best Father's Day! and May 30, 2005 on Plan Your Best Fourth of July!