"That's sad. You are selling yourself short, and not requiring all that much out of life. It takes work and a lot courage but you can sustain romantic interest over years. "
Well, H wasn't interested in doing the work required. Now that I'm almost 50 and my kids are almost grown, neither am I. |
But at some point, at least in my mind, you have created an arrangement that is less an affair and more of an open marriage (or whatever it ends up as). I think there is a distinct difference. |
I thought the difference between an open marriage and an affair is that the affair is secret from your legal spouse. |
Why not just open up the marriage? No cheating/getting caught; makes it so much easier and enjoyable. We're married with kids, and are open to relationships/sex with other married parents. |
My former H was dead set against it. He was very threatened that he couldn't compare. He was right. Keeping the marriage closed didn't save it. |
Problem with an open marriage is the more "successful" partner in finding lovers will enjoy the arrangement to the resentment of the less successful one. |
If you aren't interested that is fine. I still think it is sad that now you are 50, the affair ran its course, and you are still with a man who frankly sounds lazy and uninterested in intimacy. So...you could live what, possibly four more decades with this dude? Or, you are saying you are planning to divorce now that the kids are grown? Are you saying that 50 is end of life and you just don't care about that stuff anymore? Just not sure I see the long term gain. The short term one, yes, but not the long term one. |
eight years is a long long time. Life is short, good and health life is even shorter, enjoy it while you can, whether with spouse or with a lover. |
Here's the thing - all affairs have the risk that your spouse will find out and your home life implodes. Another married affair partner would fully understand this risk because he/she is in the same boat. Another married person also would understand scheduling problems and will not expect typical "dates". They also would not expect the relationship to have a future otherwise they would be seeking a divorce instead of an affair. Therefore, married affair partners have the potential to be more successful than say a married person with a single person.
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Except the ones that kill their spouses. Hate when that happens on Snapped. ![]() |
This actually happened to a business contact of mine a few years ago, it was a horrible case. Wife was having an affair with her boss. The boss shot the husband, in the parking lot of their kid's preschool at drop off. Don't f around with this shit, if you want to sleep around, don't get married http://abcnews.go.com/US/andrea-sneiderman-charged-husbands-murder-dunwoody-daycare-killing/t/story?id=16915582 |
But this person is giving up at 50 sounds like. I guess it is subjective, this is not my idea of "success" but whatevs..... |