20 years ago is when i'm talking about- early 90s. Rocky IV era. I agree she has not aged well...which really makes my (and your) point doesn't it? :D

Here's how I did it it. At 22 I married my bosses wife 18 years my senior. Then I married a woman my age. Next a woman 20 year my junior. Each one lasted about 10 years and they're all still friends. Now I date any age as long as she thinks I'm special. At least there's very little coulda, woulda, shoulda in my story.

Caveat: Younger ones talk less and seem to have a lot less drama.

I never married anyone. Been engaged 2x, but mostly as a "shut her up" exercise. My dad was already divorced 2x by the time i was 18. I learned his lesson for him. Now he's unhappily married a 3rd time.

My parents were married for 52 years before my mom died.

My wife's parents were married for 51 years before her dad died.

My brother has been married for 32 years.

My wife's brother has been married for 35 years.

None of them have ever been divorced.

Yet!!!;)

Yea, and none have had been abducted by space aliens. It could happen but it ain't likely.

Difference between Hookers and cop...

<embed width='448' height='365' src='http://www.spike.com/efp' quality='high' bgcolor='000000' name='efp' align='middle' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' flashvars='flvbaseclip=2899817&'> </embed> <br /> <a href='http://www.spike.com/video/hooker-cop/2899817'> Hooker or Cop </a>

I know a guy who wore clown shoes for 35 years and still going.
To each his own. 51 years, same rhythm, I think I would have died of shear monotony. That said, my parents are going on 61 years.

But that's not always the case... and I can see how your cirumstances have lead you to your choice when it comes to marriage.

However: snipe - you proclaim the merits of your single lifestyle, but you don't seem to admit that there are positives about being married.

There are positives and negatives to both lifestyles. For me, the married lifestyle is a better fit, but like Turbo_pro, I was very fortunate in finding my soul mate. Not all married people have a marriage that works - I am very fortunate.

You like your single lifestyle - good for you. But you seem to feel there are no merits of being married - at all. That is simply not the case.

-Z-man.

Couldn't have said it better myself Z-man.

I suspect none of them were particularly happy either, though i'm sure you'll swear that you all sing the theme song to the Mickey Mouse club nightly.

Every body i know that is married is not happy.

You can love someone EVERY BIT AS MUCH without being taxed by the state for a marriage license. That's all marriage is...a government intrusion. Love is real. Marriage is an artificial construct.

Love does not require marriage to function, though the introduction of marriage often causes love to transform into hate.

Short of a tax break, i see absolutely no upside to marriage whatsoever.

I can't speak for GH85Carrera, but that song was played at our wedding reception for our first dance... how'd ya know?!? :eek:

I kid, I kid...

(Actually, our first dance was the chicken dance, no kidding!)

Perhaps you need to expand your circle of friends...

See below for an aspect of love that is missing in the above statement.

I respectfully disagree.

I agree - marriage is not a prerequisite for love. Neither is love a prerequisite for marriage. However, marriage requires commitment, which seems to me is something you may have an issue with, snipe. (Methinks that's the real reason for your disdain of marriage.) Marriage is an act of commitment - bu sadly too many people rush into marriage and ignore this basic element of the institution.

Based on your comments above, it seems that LOVE is an important concept in your life. Well in that case, may I state that a long and successful marriage is a direct manifestation of a very strong COMMITMENT to LOVE. That aspect of love simply cannot be experienced in multiple short-term relationships.

Also - you seem to equate marriage with unhappiness. Happy is an emotion that is based on what is happening at a given time. Being happy and being in love are not mutually inclusive -- there are times when love bring with it unhappiness. (Example: the loss of a loved one).

However, JOY and LOVE are more often paired together -- they can be mutually inclusive. Real deep joy occurs when LOVE is given enough time to grow and nurture and develop. Case in point: Kim and I have been married 15 years. As you know, a month ago, I broke my foot and have been immobilized severely. At home, Kim has been the most loving angel I can imagine. All the little things that she has done for me were done because she loves me. Everything from getting me a drink of water, to literally wiping my butt and feet after I shower, to taking over all the chores in the house that are my responsibliity. Over time, it is these little acts of love that brings us closer to each other.

So, if you want to be happy in your short term relationships without marriage - feel free. But don't discount those who have experienced deep joy through a loving marital relationship.

Is marriage hard work? You bet. But the benefits are well worth the effort.

-Z-man.

PS: Tonight, and for the rest of my life, I plan on curling up to a nice warm, loving wife when I go to bed. How about you?

Thanks for laying out your side of the equation so nicely Z.

I understand your views...but they're not for me. Perhaps some day i will be shot through the heart like a lovestruck school boy, throw all caution to the wind, and get married.

Until then, gods be willing, i will continue dating a wide variety of both mentally stimulating, well educated women and, of course, a bevy of sluts.

But you never know when you'll find that one girl you've been searching for your whole life.

~Dreams~

Just out of my reach she haunts my soul,
The promise of her touch has once more made me whole.

In my dreams she beckons to me in the night, and she says to me,
"Come with me love, let's take flight."

And as i reach out to take her hand,
my eyes open, filled only with sand.

I realize that i am there all alone,
and i cry thinking of the places we would have flown.

And as i gaze out into the moon filled sky, i feel love for her,
this beautiful stranger, a single tear rolling from my eye.

This is a poem for her, my dark and seductive queen,
the likes of whom i have never before seen.

I desire only to sleep now, for she lives only in my dreams.

~Billy, 2009

Sounds nice, but it should. It's a poem.

I wish you all the luck in the world with that but the truth is , people change. If you change together great.

Since you asked
As for my night, I'll be curling up with a 20 something and if I want, the same one tomorrow.
If she cops a mood and swan dives into crazy, I'll send her ass home.
Next week when she on the pad, I'll send her some flowers and let her hormones explode without me. Of course why be alone, so I'll call Alli, Daisy, Terri or Pilar because there are woman who really just want company for the night because they have a life to explore.
I have a poet if I want to argue with a lib, a beauty queen if I need a styler for the theater and a flat out party girl if I want to spend the night on the edge of ecstasy.
Same woman every night for the rest of time. tick tock tick tock .... that's me thinking.. oooooh... NO THANKS.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1269048348.jpg

Like I said - if you choose your life, that's not for me to judge, and not for me to change your mind.

I suppose the problem I have with some of you here (like snipe) is this: If you have never been married, then your judgement on what married life is like really holds no water.

I was single for more than half my life - and I did date around quite a bit, espcially in college. So I have a decent idea of what the single and dating life is about. But snipe - you said yourself that you have never been married, right? So while the married life is not for you, you really have no personal experience to judge marriage as you do (it's only a way for the government to tax you more...etc.).

It's like this: I have 9 years and 100+ track days in my 944. I also have ZERO track days in a 911 - any 911. So for me to claim that "944's are far superior track machines than 911's are" really holds no water, even if that claim is true.

-Z-man.

My personal experience is as living as a child in a bad marriage and in watching countless friends marriages disintegrate over the years, leaving my friends broken, financially ravaged and bitter.

Is that not personal experience?

"Is there not a man among so wise as to learn from the mistakes of others?"
~Voltaire

Sometimes i want to sleep alone. A lot of times i very much do not want a woman around. Often, they tend to annoy the hell out of me if they're around too much. I like to go on dates 2-3 times a week, and have a woman spend the night at my place 1-2 nights a week. The rest of the time, i want to do what i want to do.

So, as joe single guy,

"i can do whatever i want, whenever i want, for as long as i want to do it."
(From the TV series with the little blonde dude in a modeling magazine office, can't remember the name of the show)

Try that trick when you're married. :D

I've been engaged 2x. Those crazy womenfolk want to know and have a say in virtually every single aspect of your life. No thanks, i says.

As I said before, there is nothing wrong with prostitution. All I can say is wear a condom- HIV is everywhere, and you DON'T want to give it to someone you genuinely love. That's why I don't turn tricks, and I refuse to pay someone for something I can get pretty much any time I want.

N

We are in complete and total agreement.

*Russian PhD physicist for mind blowing conversation and chess. (She called earlier asking me to go back out with her)
*(hopefully, as we've just started dating) A World class fencer with a masters in Phys Ed as a workout partner. (I don't go to the gym...)
*Lovely mid 30s Caribbean isle queen for romanticism. Her little girl is precious and i get to shower her with affection and stuffed animals...but i can leave when the kid is being a brat. :D (I think she has another bf too, but i could care less)
*And every couple months i'll import an out of state young hot chick for when i feel like just getting totally freaky. (Air fare is so cheap now that you can rent a young chick for 10 days for the price a top hooker costs for one night. There are TONS of young women on the net looking for a daddy figure)

Life is good.

Marriage on the other hand restricts me to one chick who will want to be in all my business, be a total hassle to be around some times, who will play stupid power games like trying to hold out on sex when i dont acquiesce to her demands, who will age...probably not gracefully. Probably go nuts with menopause. Probably give me Dueller syndrome, and perhaps ultimately take 1/2 of everything i own.

Really. No thank you.

I definitely protect my monkey from all that is funky. ;)

Maybe not.
I love being married. I have been married most of my life to some really great women. Like I eluded to earlier, people change.

There is no better environment for raising children than a committed marriage but my child rearing days are behind me and now, I want what I want when I want it. Right now I want to play. If the right girl pops up and marriage makes sense, I'll get married again.
What the hell, with the government poised to steal all my money why not give half to another wife.

I envy your chess partner. I find it very difficult to find chess partners of an appropriate level (short of tournaments). Chess with a noid (male or female) is less than rewarding. I think I'd rather eat sand.

OK, we're mostly in agreement.

I don't have kids, never wanted any, and i really don't want them now, with where i view the country to be going.