BS: Why did I get married stories

Subject: BS: Why did I get married stories
From: Donuel
Date: 03 Sep 21 - 02:22 PM

I bet the stories about why we didn't marry so and so would make much more torrid stories but I think the 'opposites attract' cliche' has some merit. She is quantitative and I am qualitative. She is young and I'm...older. She is short and I am tall. I was an only child and she is from a brood. She is smart and I...she is smart. I am outdoor and she is indoor. She has PHD's and I went to school. I needed a translator and she needed clear eyes. She can't drive and I've never crashed.
Sure there's more to it than opposites but I'm not a rocket scientist.

Subject: RE: BS: Why did I get married stories
From: Senoufou
Date: 03 Sep 21 - 03:36 PM

Well Donuel, I think our marriage could be classed as 'attraction of opposites' in some ways. He's black, I'm white. He's a Muslim, I'm a Christian. I have an MA degree and he had only a very basic education.
He is one of nine children, I have only one sibling, my sister. He was born and brought up in West Africa, I was born in West London.
But, there are also many similarities. We both like the house to be clean and tidy. We both believe in God and have the same morality. We both adore Africa. We love flying and travelling. We both feel much pity for the unfortunate (homeless etc) Even our 'dream cars' are the same (Mini Countryman and Range Rover Evoque, in taupe) although we only have a little old Fiesta. Neither of us drinks alcohol or smokes, and would never touch drugs.
Every couple's marriage is unique. And I think every marriage is a mixture of similarities and differences.

Subject: RE: BS: Why did I get married stories
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 03 Sep 21 - 05:55 PM

We're looking at 45 years wed come December. When you look at my thousands of posts here you might think I'm a bit of a ratbag. But Mrs Steve and I are equal partners, we refuse equally to take bullshit off each other (we both do a good snarl), we can get all cross (it never lasts), and we TALK a lot. I suppose we're best mates. Of course, there are other aspects of married life that are just as important but beyond the remit of this website's chatter. Every now and then, put down the iPhone and iPad, turn down the telly volume and have a good old natter. Works for us!

And she likes my cooking...

And I like her ironing of my shirts...

And we both enjoy the odd glass of Prosecco or something...

Subject: RE: BS: Why did I get married stories
From: Donuel
Date: 03 Sep 21 - 06:27 PM

45! wow,
We're only 35
When it comes to similarities I suppose socio economic is a common similarity. Challenges like a star is born syndrome or a fall from grace make for good movies. Divorce is an accomplishment too and takes more courage than marriage.

Subject: RE: BS: Why did I get married stories
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 03 Sep 21 - 06:47 PM

Do try to not over-analyse.

Subject: RE: BS: Why did I get married stories
From: Donuel
Date: 03 Sep 21 - 07:01 PM

yes dear

Subject: RE: BS: Why did I get married stories
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 04 Sep 21 - 08:49 AM

We were together for 23 years before we got legally married. When we decided to leave our day jobs and move, we looked into the pluses and minuses of getting hitched. We decided because of financial practicality and power of attorney issues that it made sense to make it legal. The day my wife had done the research, I picked her up at the train station and she greeted me with, Goddam it dear, we have to get married. A statement that has way different meaning when you're in your fifties as opposed to being eighteen. It was fun getting a marriage license. There was a young couple in front of us getting one. When we got to the counter we mentioned we'd been together for 23 years, because you don't want to rush things. We tell people we only spent $127 on getting married ($27 for the certificate and donated $100 to the UU church where the minister hitched us in her office in ten minutes).

Subject: RE: BS: Why did I get married stories
From: Mrrzy
Date: 04 Sep 21 - 09:23 AM

In my case, way too many lemon drops were invilved.

Lemon drops, fyi, are shots of frozen vodka followed by biting into a sugared lemon wedge.

Subject: RE: BS: Why did I get married stories
From: Rapparee
Date: 04 Sep 21 - 10:41 AM

48 years. October 6 starts 49. Nobody else could stand either of us. She's a BA (Math), MA (Library Science), postgrad fellowship, JD, etc. I'm just a lowly BA (Lit. in Eng.) and MS (Information Science/Library Science) and other "education." She's a native of Washington,DC and I'm a guy from the Great Middle West and the banks of the Mississippi River.

Subject: RE: BS: Why did I get married stories
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 04 Sep 21 - 01:37 PM

48 years here too. Never made a better choice. Not sure if Mrs G feels the same :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Why did I get married stories
From: Rapparee
Date: 04 Sep 21 - 04:18 PM

Perhaps I should add that when I got off Active Duty with the Army in 1969 she was faculty at the college I went back to to finish my BA. Naturally, as a student I started dating a faculty. The other faculty accepted that and I attended faculy "do's". This now puts both her and I in the college's "Retired Faculty" association.

I highly doubt a student could get away with dating (and then marrying) a faculty member these days.

Subject: RE: BS: Why did I get married stories
From: Charmion
Date: 04 Sep 21 - 04:32 PM

If Edmund were still on this plane of existence, we would celebrate our 23rd anniversary this year at Thanksgiving.

We took up brass rags back in the mid-90s because we liked many of the same writers and musicians, we enjoyed extensive conversation (that would be nattering), and we trusted each other. After a couple of years of “walking out”, we decided to get married because I would not let him pay my bill at the vet’s if we didn’t.

Subject: RE: BS: Why did I get married stories
From: keberoxu
Date: 04 Sep 21 - 10:32 PM

no marriage story for me, but I had to say
that 'take up brass rags' caught my eye.

I tried goggling it.

"Part brass rags" may be found all over the World Wide Web
and in digital copies of elderly books of various sorts.

But nobody printed 'take up brass rags' that it turned up online,
except for our irreplaceable Charmion.

Subject: RE: BS: Why did I get married stories
From: Mrrzy
Date: 05 Sep 21 - 09:16 AM

Love the vet bill angle, Charmion.

Subject: RE: BS: Why did I get married stories
From: MickyMan
Date: 05 Sep 21 - 01:44 PM

Back in the pre mid 70s, the elephant in the room was so much bigger than it is today.   So many of us got interested in having sex with a certain someone, and if the word got out that we were doing so, parents and peers felt no hesitation in letting us know that sex really should mean marriage.
The pill became widely available in the mid 60s, and the media was full of discussion about how CASUAL SEX was happening EVERYWHERE.   However, in real life, my anecdotal recollection is that sex didn't get dissasociated with marriage until the mid 80s.
Consequently, lots of us got married because we liked sex.   The divorce rate soared when people first found out that there was an alternative to that.    My 1976 bride and I were lucky to ride through all of that.   Our 45th anniversary is next month!

Subject: RE: BS: Why did I get married stories
From: banjoman
Date: 07 Sep 21 - 05:57 AM

Just starting our 50th year since we got married. I still feel the same about Maggie as I did then. Our musical tastes have come together and she is now a fine banjo player as well as having one of the finest singing voices.
Overall, no regrets and I pray she feels the same although things are difficult for her since I became disabled by Rheumatoid and osteo arthritis. " In sickness and in health etc."