Well, here's one of the crazy ******* speaking up...
Some of ya'll have been either hurt way bad or hit on the head or just not raised well, the way you talk about women. If I didn't hear that crap all the time every day, I'd be hurt. But coming from some of ya'll who have communicated with me before, I am a little surprised at you...I didn't know you thought so poorly of me 'cause I have indoor plumbing.
When folks first meet me, they think I am aggressive and domineering and angry. I try very hard not to come across that way but folks don't know what to think about a strong, confident woman who doesn't give a rat's ass about what shoes are on sale this week and has more than one torque wrench in the garage. So they think I'm a bitch.
When they get to know me they see someone willing to help in bad times, fiercely loyal to friends, and generous with both time and resources.
This certainly extends to my marriage, which is only nine years old but very strong. And be it known that I am not in charge of our marriage, even though I am in charge of most of the day-to-day activities and the household, just because I'm better at it. Hell it's not a marriage if we both aren't moving through life as one creature. And it's WORK.
Everyday, no matter how we feel, even if we feel like we don't like each other, if I feel like I want to be single again, if he sees I'm not in my 20's anymore and the cutie at the bar is flirting...no matter how we feel, we know feelings come and go. What stays is the committment. Feelings change quickly, but knowledge is permanent. And we know we are committed to the marriage even if we temporarily don't feel committed to each other. Love is not just a feeling, it's an action that you have to practice all the time to stay good at it. Even if you don't feel like it.
Ignore taking action to maintain a marriage and watch it wilt. Let it wilt and flounder for very long and permanent damage will be done.
Even if I really just want to be left alone, or if I'm preoccupied with work, or PMS-ing (God knows I try not to but I'm a real ******* some days), I MUST put myself aside and take care of US. Not all day, not every minute, I have a life of my own and so does he, but WE are more important than me or him alone. Why? Because we promised.
The action of care-taking differs from couple to couple. In this house, it means I get up wtih him at 4 am, no matter what, and put together the best lunch I can for him to take to work. It means he never has to clean the cat litter box. And it means I never have to clean the shower drain. It means that he can't let his inner jerk out whenever he feels like it and it means I have to hold my tongue even if he does, to contain the damage.
We fought so much and said such horrible things to each other in the first couple years and again when we were both out of work last year, I'm surprised we made it. We weren't trying hard enough and we're still working through the damage we did to our marriage. Damn it's hard work, every day.
Don't even get me started with the mental discipline we both excercise regarding fidelity. Most every relationship faces that temptation, but if you're ready for it before it comes, failure to stay true just isn't an option.
Yeah, some of ya'll going on about staying single, you have a good point. Some of you should. But CR, there's so many aspects as to why this trouble came to be...was it her, was it you, did some things go undone, did a promise go unfulfilled, was somebody wearing blinders, and what didn't they see? Probably a lot of different things all at once.
There's wisdom been said here and I'm listening too. You really do gotta be at peace with yourself before you can be a part of a fulfilling relationship. There's no such thing as "we complete each other," you both better damn sight be standing up tall on your own before you become mates and put your lives in each others' hands.
CR it's easy to generalize about the problems and about the gender, but if you accept the challenge of looking at every complex facet of the problem that you can wrap your head around, and if she can do the same, while you both leave your feelings and emotions at the door, maybe you can see your way into the clear again.