romance and all that rot

A post by piratesorka got me to pondering about partnership...

As of a couple of weeks ago, Mike and I have been together for 10 years. I have no idea how this happened. I've always been tough, bitchy, opinionated, hard to handle and generally high maintenance for various reasons. I went through one marriage already and ruined it (well, okay, it was more than just me.) I'm not exactly attractive and that's declining rapidly as I age. I'm a big slut, I talk too much, I spend money like water, I'm a slob and a terrible housekeeper and I'd probably make a lousy mother because I'd expect the kids to be able to fend for themselves by the time they can walk. And I have several chronic illnesses which require expensive, time-consuming and icky maintenance.

But somehow he's stuck with me. With just a few exceptions, every other couple we've known in the time we've been together has split up. We've been on the verge of that a few times, but in the last six years or so, we've been fine. There's no end in sight. Yeah, we're a boring old married couple at times, but it works. And I'm quite glad for that, and really appreciate having him, because more and more, I'm realizing that if I didn't have him, I'd probably be single for the rest of my life because I'm just not exactly marketable in that sense. He is truly unique, truly the person who was really made for me, and in 10 years, I haven't met anyone else who has anywhere near the same set of remarkable qualities that are exactly suited for managing me. Hell, I even piss off and alienate most of my friends on a regular basis, so keeping a partner is pretty amazing.

I like him. And I know I'm damned lucky to have him.