Strangely, the part that bothers me the most sometimes is the recreational aspect (shallow as that may seem). I mean, I'm really a girlie, flowery, artsy girl and Blake's a beastly, stinky manly man. I appreciate that Brook, but you forgot to mention that I'm also hairy and mean. And don't forget how well I drag you by your hair from our cave when it's time to go on hunts or gather berries in the wilderness. I am in fact the real life Shrek. As much as I also love that about him (you know one of those "the thing that initially attracted you to someone is the exact thing that drives you crazy once you get married"), I often joke that if I ever leave Blake it will be for a black, homosexual dancer with dreadlocks, simply because I can't think of anything more opposite from him. With any luck your gay dancer (not to be redundant) may even like mustard and quiche!!!
Did anyone ever give you the advice when you were looking for a spouse, to find someone who you have things in common with? I often look at couples in the same profession, like two celebrities actors who get together, or two interior designer married teams, or a married ballroom dancing couple, and think: Okay, so you are dancing your way through life together in this one area, but who's taking care of the things at home that you can't possibly be good at simply because you weren't made to be that way?
I don't know. I guess now days you can hire just about anything out, but I must say, at the end of the day, I really like knowing that the things that I am just not wired to do, Blake does very well. Sure, it can get aggravating on Saturday mornings, when I want to pop up early and go yard sale-ing...and Blake would rather go rafting or hunting or even have a root canal. Or when it just makes sense to me to keep your closet tidy in this certain way, so I go to extreme organizational measures to make it as easy as possible to put things where they go...only to find during a seasonal clean out, he has found a way to secretly and neatly stash dirty clothes in a clean clothes drawer (Ugh!). The very fact that you said I NEATLY stashed clothes seems like a huge step forward for me. I will be celebrating and focusing on the positives in this whole thing. (For those that don't know me, I get a lot of things done and I am rarely defeated in things I set my mind to do. The downside to that is that I often leave a huge wake of destruction and mess from my "productivity". Brook likes my results but my methods drive her crazy.)
There are always huge things to deal with in marriage, and you can get into some really vicious cycles, but the little things can drive you no less batty. But, be encouraged, if you find yourself married to an opposite or thinking about marrying an opposite, there are bright sides and compromises when both people are willing to step up and sacrifice a little. (Uh...hope that's not a new word for you on the marital circuit.)
I actually wouldn't marry someone too similar to me. The conflict produced by our differences is well worth the gift of diversity and the covering we provide one another and our kids in so many areas. For what its worth, we very much agree on the big issues of child rearing, theology and politics...for the most part anyway. In the areas in which we differ we have grown in ways that allow us to not only hear one another but to value the thoughts and opinions of each other. That has been a huge blessing for us as we journey together in this world.
I actually wouldn't marry someone too similar to me. The conflict produced by our differences is well worth the gift of diversity and the covering we provide one another and our kids in so many areas. For what its worth, we very much agree on the big issues of child rearing, theology and politics...for the most part anyway. In the areas in which we differ we have grown in ways that allow us to not only hear one another but to value the thoughts and opinions of each other. That has been a huge blessing for us as we journey together in this world.
For your pleasure and entertainment, it is fortunate, on the other hand, that we both terrifically enjoy...well...blogging.
