Richard Bridge says, "a relationship (of the sexual, you know, grown up man, grown up woman (or gender preference) kind) without sex is a contradiction in terms."

I disagree. Through my life, I have had many wonderful relationships with women - at the same time having a permanent sexual relationship with a spouse or longtime lover. And many of those women were very attractive to me. If I had added sex to the equation in every one of those relationships, my life would have been very complicated. There was certainly an element of sexuality in each of those relationships, but sex only in the long-term, committed relationships.

Little Hawk said that sexual attraction is ephemeral. Well, maybe so - but it can last a long, long time. I had a mad crush on a woman in about 1999, and she wasn't interested in a relationship at the time. We went different ways, but have remained friends. But it still drives me crazy when she's around. I suppose I'll carry a torch for her and at least two other women the rest of my life - and I had a sexual relationship with only one of those women. My wife thinks that part of my romantic nature, and she likes it. The three women have other men in their lives.

-Joe, incurable romantic-