Reasons to Stay Together In Tough Times
Sharon December 6th, 2008
Note: This is another re-run, slightly revised for circumstances, but I’m kind of fond of it. I actually wrote this for the old Running On Empty list in response to a serious discussion of marital differences about peak oil, and then reprinted it on my blog. I’m going to do a post about dealing with relationship stresses of tough times at some point, but for now, I thought we needed some comedy. After all, one of the logical consequences of the economic crisis is that the grass ain’t always greener anymore.
1. Gives you something sustainable to do during those rolling blackouts (sex and fighting would probably both fit the bill, actually.)
2. You can’t afford dinner and a movie, much less romantic gifts for your mistress or new sweetie anyway. You might as well stay with someone whose expectations have already been lowered by exposure to the real you.
3. Lowered economic expectations mean that even if you are no longer motivated by staying at home for the sake of the children, you still need to stick it out for the sake of the pets - kibble is getting pricey.
4. Loving partners will often pretend interest in things like the rate of oil extraction in the Ghawar and the carbon impact of driving vs. flying when others begin yawning and wander off.
5. Romantic evenings with spouse may already consist of offering to be the one to cook dinner *and* do the dishes.
6. Newly met potential partners are often turned off by birth control discussions that require low budget home vasectomies or or craft-your-own condoms.
7. The only new people you are meeting are collection agents in Bangalore, and you can’t afford the flight.
8. Huddling together for warmth with a damp spouse who has just come
out of the barn is marginally more pleasant than huddling with a damp dog who has just come from the same place. Usually.
9. Since he’s already spent tons of money restoring his bike or collecting the complete back episodes of some anime series, you can legitimately tell him to piss off when he complains about you buying bulk toilet paper and dried beans.
10. When your unbearable sister in law and her three obnoxious children move in because of the crisis, the only person who will put up with them is the person who knows that if he/she doesn’t, his/her demanding, drunken parents will be out on their behinds. Moreover, the absence of cable can be much compensated for by lengthy discussions of whose relatives are more horrifying.
11. Spouses/partners may come to find your true hair color/hairy legs (face?back?)/chronic allergic snoring/tendency towards simultaneous wrinkles and zits endearing after you can no longer locate or afford products intended to conceal them. One hopes.
12. Once the peak comes, you know that you’ll have each other forever, though thick and thin, good times and bad, through all the great exigencies of life. After all, divorce is too expensive and you are conserving ammo.
Cheers,
Sharon