The Most Difficult Relationship

The other day my wife brought a friend into my office. I was downstairs, but I heard her say, "This is Phil's office. Watch out, you'll need a tetanus shot later." It was a comment on the messiness of my office. And not something I can argue with.

Marriage is the most difficult of relationships. You leave your parents and you can forget about your friends. You can fire your boss or your therapist. But your spouse is your coal mine. You have to show up every day. You get everything from it, but it's also a company town. I.e., no room for another company. Plus there is always the outside possibility that you will get asphyxiated. You'll wake up in the middle of the night with your wife squashing a pillow over your face. There are only a couple things you can tell yourself in that situation. A, I think I deserve this, B, I sure hope I picked up my socks and clothes off the floor.