Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Married TOO Long?

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas of 1975, the husband and I became a couple. We’ve spent the last almost 29 years…at first, growing up, and now, growing old together.

One of the more interesting aspects of being with one person for so long, is how the personalities become so intertwined that it’s hard to determine where one ends and the other begins. We tend to finish each other’s sentences. Or we’ll open our mouths to say exactly the same thing at exactly the same time. Or one of us will say something a split second before the other one was about to say the same thing. Invariably, when this happens, we’ll look at each other and laugh, "Oh, God, we’ve been married TOO long!"

Would that it was only the good aspects of each other’s personalities that we’ve absorbed over the years. A more disturbing metamorphosis has also been taking place. We have started to sport each other’s boogers and warts as well. Fighting has become interesting…I look into the eyes of the "enemy" and find I’m looking in a mirror. In the heat of battle, a grenade comes flying over the fence that looks very much like one of my own. And I’ll look down and find I’m shoveling ammunition from a crate stamped "Republic of Matt." "I’ve been mad for three days…Couldn’t you TELL?" he says, lobbing a small bomb that I used to use on him just after we were married. "You just do what YOU want to do, and you never think of anyone else!" Another one of my own grenades goes whizzing past my head…

I have met the enemy, and he is me.

24 comments:

  1. I am looking forward to meeting "The Enemy" !

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  2. I have been noticing that my husband is becoming me at his job.  I am finding more and more that I am telling him, “You cannot say that” or “you will have to get along or kiss ass.”  These were the very sentences he used to tell me as I was bombarded with disdain from my co-workers and he was regarded with high esteem.  Now I am seeing me in him and it is not looking very nice.  I have since learned to kiss ass, and lately I have noticed the sting is even getting less and less painful.  {Sigh}

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  3. Hi Lisa-
    Cute and true entry. I find myself doing and saying things I never would have before marrying Bob. Like I hate my feet being messed with and always went to bed with socks on my feet, now I can't stand socks and love to have my feet messed with. Another one is I always had to wear a stupid bra and underwear, now I can't stand either one! The last but not only one is that when I get mad, man I get mad and stay mad for awhile. But I find I get like Bob and just let it go, most of the time. It's really too bad that he and I do not have our act more together after 8 years together and are probably headed for seperation. He really has taught me some pretty cool stuff!

    Thanks for the cute entry,
    Gayla

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  4. I didn't see one wart on your cute little face...I don't care what he says!  LOL, Lisa

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  5. At least you can look at all of this with humor. LOL! Oh how I hate it when people use my own tactics back at me. errrggg :-) ---Robbie

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  6. It's happening to us after 23 years....we even look more alike. Some people think we are siblings..

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  7. Very funny and VERY accurate!!!

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  8. I think that's so cute!!

    http://journals.aol.com/derasta/ADayInTheLife

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  9. What a beautiful love story!  Many more happy years to you!

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  10. After all, who knows you better that the person  you let get the closest to you.

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  11. Boy, ain't dat da trufe.  I am swinging by to wish your journal a happy birthday.
    May it have many happy returns.  (it has me returning on a regular basis...)
    Celebrate wildly!
    ~~mumsy

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  12. If you only knew how much I identified with this.

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  13. It is wonderful that you've spent 29 years together.  My last few years have been hard because I'm only staying together for the kids.  I admire your marriage.

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  14. WOW
    Where do you start when someone has the same life as you do.My wife and I have been together for 16 years and wouldn't change anything,except maybe getting together sooner.We do the same things as you do.I can't think of any better complement than to have the one you love mimic you.We share all the things in our life including the bad times.The fights are more interesting now that we use the same tactics against each other.Most times we wind up laughing at each other.
    Don't be afraid to apologise to make things better,even if you are right.It'll all work out later.
    Thanks for sharing our life with all the other readers.Its nice to know we're not alone
    Ain't love grand.
    Joey

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  15. Wow- it's nice to hear that your kind of relationship is still out there.  I have been married for 15 years and the last 3 have been pretty dead. I think I married to young- married mr. right now instead of mr. right and because I haven't wanted to hurt anyone I've stayed. In the last 6 months I've been honest with how I feel and he stays anyway and I stay anyway and we go on for now. Earlier this year something hit me like a ton a bricks, a wake up call- it didn't matter what I had or did etc I just felt empty and unfulfilled inside- time to make changes.  I know there are relationships like yours, I have one with someone else- that's love and fulfillment- being able to finish sentences etc... hope I find completeness like you.
    Congrats.

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  16. sounds great.  lucky u 2 have been married for long good luck

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  17. When I was 27 I was widowed after just 3 years of marriage.  He commited suicide and left me to raise my 2 year old daughter by myself.  One of my biggest regrets is the small things that we use to fight about.   The biggest gift one can get from a tragic loss like this is perspective.  It's been 7 years since he died and I still feel guilt over wasting so much time not enjoying the everyday joys that we all seem to become complacent about.      

    I understand how married couples get to this point, but when all is said and done what will you say to yourself.  Will you honestly be able to find good reason for wasted time??    Appreciate the time and love you have between each other.  If for no other reason but to be able to say I didn't waste a second......  


    Pretend for just a couple of days that he's gone forever.....then analyze what's really bothering you.  The molehills are probably not mountains they seem to be.



    Be good to yourself and your spouse, goodluck

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  18. that is such a great story - I have been married to this man (my 2nd, his 4th) for 6 months. We lived together for 9 months before. I hope I will be able to say the same as you - even though he was the one that pressed the issue about getting married, now he's the one that doesnt seem to be so interested anymore. he has alot on him at work, works out of town alot, and has some illness in his family, and says this is why he doesnt act the same. I hope that is true. congratulations on your relationship - you sure dont hear that very often any more

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  19. Wow-- I don't think that's a bad thing. ;-)  Of course you're going to start being like someone when you've spent so much of your life with them.  I'm sure each of you has an influence on the other anyway.  And didn't you have some things in common that made you get together in the first place?

    It's nice to hear of a happy marriage, and of course I don't think you've been married too long!
    Donna

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  20. It was nice and it could continue to be nice. But we have as people always been control by the way others think we should be like. So now that idea have just caught up to you. What's wrong with being free to be who you are and still love each other. You two are two and there is nothing wrong with that. Now! And I say Now! you two are finding other parts of yourselves and Now you two don't want to share the differences. The specail thing that make you two different than other is you aloud yourselves to love each other in freedom. Now you want to try the way of controling each other. Go back ! Go back to being free to be yourselves. One of the ways of going back is to say, I love you and me and I am going to let you be you and me be me.  Beyah...

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  21. i have been only married since march but together for 12 years i hear stories of people who have been married 40 or more and i say OMG! u did not kill each other? I would love to keep my marriage going forever and I hope that he thnks the same. I am confident that with trust, honesty, and comunication we will make it work. I hope for all the people who are thinking of getting married, just remember that sometimes you have to live with the person first so you can see if it will work or not but never forget the cow is never free make them pay first lol

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  22. Please do not give but your married work hart to save . i am only 42 and I am so lonelly, that my job is the only happiness I get,and my chilrdren, I do not know and I do not know what is going on but is if threre is not VERBAL and PHYSYCAL abusse do it for those 29 wonderful yeas that you guys were toghther........ GOD BLESS you and yours..........................................................

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