I was going to do an article on ‘empty nesters’ this week - but then came the news that Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child ten (yes 10) years ago - with a member of his household staff. Although this news doesn’t really shock me as I am considering the source, it does incense me that Schwarzenegger could wait ten years before revealing his secret to his long-suffering wife, Maria Shriver.

These types of men just don’t ‘get it’, do they? The infidelity is bad enough -but then they live a lie and in doing so, create a false life with their wife and family - a life that was not based on honesty and trust. I cannot imagine the pain his wife must be feeling - not to mention that he has shattered his children’s trust. The damage he has done to his family - to his un-acknowledged child - not to mention his character and legacy, is incalculable.

I am sure Maria is thinking back over the last ten years, to how she lived in the same house with the ’other’ woman - a household staffer who lived the lie with the First Lady of California’s own despicable husband and father of the household. Together those two fornicators kept the secret from either one or both of their respective spouses (according to news reports the woman had said it was her husband’s child) for the last ten (10) long years. And, is anyone else thinking what I am? - who knows how long they slept together during these last ten years - before the staffer‘s retirement in January. What prompted Arnold to suddenly reveal his dirty little secret? Was he about to be ‘outed’? Something precipitated his decision to 'come clean' after his years-long lockjaw concerning his affair and secret child.

Because of Arnold’s irresponsible and reckless behavior - his decision not to tell his wife at any time during these last ten years, shows the calculated selfishness that kept Maria in the dark - which ultimately also kept her from making HER OWN choice on whether or not she wanted to continue in her marriage to a man who could never hold a candle to her integrity and ethics. Somebody should have put some salt peter in his food a long time ago - but then who really wants a man who is going to constantly humiliate his wife (not to mention his entire family) and yet somehow, time and time again, was able to get a free pass. Maria was 10 years younger then and could have started her life over in time. It makes me go hmmm…

My thinking is Arnold knew Maria would give him the deep six once he confessed to her - so, he made HER decision FOR HER by not telling her - until now, when, for reasons that have yet to be revealed to us - I should say for the REAL reason yet to be revealed to us, he finally told Maria of his betrayal. I think we will eventually find out that there was much more to this story - after all, why now, just 5 months after the Paramour ‘retired’ from that same household? What nerve! That woman staffer, who reportedly was a live-in household staff member, had the unmitigated gall to stay working within the confines of that home - a home shattered by deceit and deception going on right under Maria’s nose - for the last ten years!! And, who knows if there was still hanky panky going on in the Governor’s mansion with that same woman up until her departure/retirement? It starts to paint an ugly picture to me why he waited until his paramour left the mansion to say anything. My skin is crawling so I can just imagine what his wife is feeling.

Is anyone else getting a visual as I am of Arnold's paramour parading around the mansion pregnant with his baby back then - right in front of Maria!?! It was like rubbing Maria's nose in it - now Maria must be thinking back to that time and thinking that they tried to make a fool of her. What Arnold and his 'baby mama' did is so insidious and unfathomable. They actually flaunted their transgression. Not to mention that child (a boy) must have grown up either in or around the household in which case I'm thinking (as well as cringing at the thought)that Maria must know the 'love' child as news reports are describing the paramour as a 'close' household staff member; Oh yeah, I would say 'close' is the operable word. And, he continued to keep her very CLOSE.

Now, Arnold’s belated actions beg the question - what is his REAL motivation for letting the cat out of the bag now, at this late stage? The sickening secrets just keep coming. Arnold has made this whole sad situation so much worse because of the way in which he handled it - shades of that other useless excuse for a man, Senator John Edwards. Take note that this was revealed AFTER Schwarzenegger left the office of Governor and AFTER the household staffer retired. What does that tell us?

Who are we choosing to put into office, anyway? - these despicable characters with absolutely no integrity are leading - or attempting to lead, our country? Is this the type of people we really want representing us? They are completely self-serving, self-absorbed and have no conscience, apparently.

Maria has finally kicked her errant husband to the curb. Please, Maria, leave him at the curb, where he belongs - alongside the trash.

My heart goes out to Maria and her children - as well as the innocent child of this unholy union - now comes the ‘after-math’ due to the selfish actions of two despicable individuals who are making innocent people suffer for their sins.