So I’m assuming Chaney broke it off, rather than Trace – if for no other reason that I can’t imagine any fundie male ready to get some breaking it off with any woman who seems the least bit willing. From the string of broken male courtships for the Bates, I have a feeling that the Bates boys act a bit more fundie in relationships than their normal haircuts, clothing, and Instagrams would suggest.
I have a feeling that maybe when they get in relationships and don’t know how to act because they haven’t socialized much growing up (though more than say the Duggars bc they at least got away from their siblings a few hrs a day to go to local college) and certainly not with the opposite sex – I wonder if not knowing how to act, the fundie male behavior comes out. (And I wouldn’t be shocked if Kelly encourages it bc she seems like the type who is telling them – oh Chaney/Ashley are JUST the girl, there are plenty of fish in the sea, you are the MAN, what you want is what happens, OF COURSE you just TELL them you will live in Knox etc. While OTOH teaching her girls how to keep their man whipped starting day 1.)
The Nathan Ashley thing was doomed starting day 1 – no fiery NYC Latina is going to jump on your beck and call to move to Rocky Top to fold dresses and pretend to be besties with princess Erin and shrieky Carlin just bc you are THE MAN. With Trace who knows what happened, but apparently Chaney is in college. Maybe she goes to a real college/is pursuing a real degree and wanted to finish that and not just go to “online college” like Carlin did so she could have all the time in the world to sit and wait for a ring. Maybe she didn’t want to move to Rocky Top with her sole outlet being the sisters in law and the dumb boutique. And honestly I bet Trace would not even discuss the idea of moving to Texas – or together picking a 3rd city to live in – bc I honestly don’t believe he has the confidence to stand on his two feet like that. He NEEDS – due to a lack of education and training – to follow the paths laid out by his brothers/brothers in law; in Rocky Top he can cobble together a living and get himself a cottage like his married siblings. Chad is now required to employ any unemployed brother in law + he can always pick up tree work from dad + there’s always the metal shop that he could probably pick up hrs at as the owner knows mommy and daddy, Bobby, and Chad.
I don’t think Trace necessarily had the problem in courting that Zach said he had back in the day with Sarah Reith. Z has said that it felt so uncomfortable bc he never knew what to talk to her about, he had never even sat next to a girl before etc. That’s what led Gil/Kelly to add a “get to know you” period.
The positive for Z was that I think the broken courtship is where he realized that his parents had just been making up rules all along and they were full of crap and would not guarantee his happiness – even despite the fact that he had prayed and done all the oldest son duties for decades and it still didn’t work out. So he started hanging out, saw a waitress he liked, became friends with her and then dated her without a 10 yr old in tow to chaperone, kissed her, married her even though [gasp] she wears pants, got himself a real job even if it means working with some non Christians and with that job got health insurance and retirement, bought a house with an evil mortgage bc he wanted a nice home not a cottage or falling down shack, put a tv in said house, and in 6 yrs of marriage has had 3 kids and it doesn’t look like he wants 10 or even 6.
And now he pretty much mocks Gil and Kelly. How they were never allowed to dance but now that they need their daughters to act somewhat romantic with men without kissing or sex – bam dancing is soooo classy. When Kelton was asking him about asking for Gil’s blessing – Z goes just tell him you’ve prayed on it and God says Josie is the one, how can he argue with that. Lol.
Z has stood up on his own two feet and IDK if Trace has what it takes. Honestly hopefully Trace doesn’t go down the bitter road that Nathan has. Trace appears to have made a lot of guy friends in college. Hope he gets it out there that he wants to marry asap – these are all local Tenn. guys who went to religious college – I’m sure one of them has a sister, cousin etc. that’s available.
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