I miss going for walks with my wife. I think that's a good thing, don't you?

We used to do that quite often when I worked across the street from her but now, due to me changing jobs I only occasionally get over to see her.

For the last 14 months, I've been so used to being around her all the time, it suddenly appears that I've lost touch, especially at lunch time. I am not saying I cannot handle change in life or that I cannot function without her, I just like being around her for some strange reason.

When I was a young man (14-21) I had very few girlfriends. Most girls liked me for my company and I was simultaneously content and peturbed with that state of affairs. For most guys, when you're labled with the "Friend" tag, you know that there is absolutely no hope of getting together with that particular girl for anything more than "listening" chats or scrabble. It absolutely sucks and it's something you have to endure and mature through until they mature. That's right, I said until they mature becuase I believe that in general, girls are fundamentally immature when it comes to relationships and picking the right guys.

Alot of my angst as a young man however, also came from I think, a core lack of confidence in who I was and the ability for me to work with my qualities - or my inability to showcase them properly. That may be something that only time corrects, for as you mature, you naturally become more confident in your abilities and who you are. Well, at least I have.

 I happened to be talking to one of my collegues at work today and she told me about her parents and her younger sister. Her sister has it made because she's in her mid twenties and stays at home rent free, her father bought her a car and he bought himself a more expensive sports car which she also drives from time to time. She doesn't pay rent, her mother still does her laundry and she of course eats meals prepared by her parents. My collegue was relaying that she tried to convince her sister to move out of her parents house and move in with her to become her roomate. She would only have to pay $500/month. Her sister replied to her "Why? I live at home for free!" Who could blame her.

This collegue also told me about her parents life together - the sister is her half sister as her mother's husband is her step-father. Apparently, the mother and step-father get along fine and have been doing so for the past 20 plus years. The odd thing she told me about however was that he is a home body - He loves staying at home and taking care of things at the house and watching Sports Center. The mother loves traveling and will do so - without him. She travels with her girlfriends and has told my collegue when she questioned her about not taking her step father that one person is not meant to be everything to and for you. "That's why you have girlfriends and work collegues and daughters, etc." "If he doesn't want to come, I still want to experience life". She even told me the story of how one day he asked her "Where is your mother? I haven't seen her today." Her reply was "She's in Rome, papa" "What?!! She never told me she was going on a trip!" My collegue later told me that her mother confirmed that she had been telling him for weeks, he was just too engrosed in Sports Center to truly be listening.

I don't blame her mother because I too believe that you should experience life to the fullest when possible and if that means traveling without your spouse - for some I guess that's okay. Today, my wife and I, while driving into work this morning, heard a story about a woman that was having an affair with a married man who booked a week long trip on a cruise ship with said married man. Of course the question we all asked was "How did HE EXPLAIN that one!!!"

I will only address the affair in this sense: Why be married if you are going to have affairs? And, if you both agree to have affairs - if that is even possible - again, are you really married? As for me, I could never go on a trip - let's say a cruise, without my wife, even if she didn't want to go. There are far too many things could happen: icebergs, pirates, girls dressed up like pirates - you get the picture. I don't need the headache from being sea sick or the headaches I'll endure afterward. The real reason though is that I know my wife enjoys going on trips and that is one great thing we have in common. So to go on a trip without her, like the previously mentioned cruise would not be a wise course of action. I'd have to walk a very short plank when I returned and believe me, there would be more than sharks circling the icy waters below awaiting me. Aaaarrrggghhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I like good things, don't you?