MARRIED with grace?

Clint & Dina Eastwood in 2010 at the Governor's Awards at the Grand Ball Room.

Today, legendary actor/ director Clint Eastwood is 82 years old with two grown daughters, one a 40 year old , Alison, and a 47 year old wife! How? is a common reaction to the revelation. How does a man that old keep a marriage as long as theirs. They were wed in 1996.

The first assumption is his wealth, but money can't sustain love, or does it? Financial woes has long been sighted as the cause of most of divorces. Infidelity, cruelty, boredom, etc. These have contributed to the dissolution of marriages, but the financial piece is the heavy hitter in a capitalistic culture.  Women have long sought financial security in their marriages, and traditional societies since ancient times deemed the fitness of a man's ability to provide as a major contribution to the esteem of the families, clan, tribe, and their futures. If judgments of this sort determine respect so does the ability to produce healthy children, protect his family, garner and maintain respect, and most important have a good family name!

Stability, marriage, and love are, as the song goes, 'a many splendored thing'. So, what do we ask ourselves of Mr. Eastwood's choice of mate? If we were sitting with him, and the subject came up how would one learn what he understands about marriage? How does one approach the Elders with questions fundamental to young people's maturation should that be a top priority, but alas the nature of American's is self-centered, fearful, and too narrow to grasp the depth of these need. In this society Eldership is a wisp of air, a footnote, something quaint and cute to recall. It isn't vital to economic stability, but the imbalance due to the disregard for Eldership is a root of the soulless quality of American life.

Asking, or admiring Hollywood marriages isn't the wisest thing to do. If your quest is to understand, and develop deep insight into the deeper mysteries in the oldest and most important, and powerful of unions between a man and woman look around you, and the place you live and work!

Clint Eastwood was first married for 31 years to Maggie Johnson. He followed this marriage with actress and singer Sondra Locke as his girlfriend for 14 years. They made some good movies together. Six movies I believe they made together. I saw a few of them. After they broke up Clint Eastwood met one of my favorite beauties, and actress, Frances Fisher, and they had a daughter, Francesca, now 16. Five years later she was free of him, and I was unsuccessful getting her attention. My recollection was the two split after Clint met Dina Ruiz, who was 35 years younger than him. They married in 1996.

As far as I know Frances Fischer is single and unavailable for a casual lunch, or coffee in LA somewhere. Pity, I am all the way on the East coast.  - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 4.26.13

Director Clint Eastwood (R) and his wife Dina Ruiz Eastwood arrive at the Museum of Tolerance International Film Festival gala awards presentation in his honor in Los Angeles November 14, 2010. (Photo : REUTERS/Danny Moloshok)