"If we work it."

Work: In this context, the general word for effort put forth in doing or making something, whether physical or mental, easy or difficult, pleasant or unpleasant, etc.

I think at some point somebody in charge should have explained to me that good, long-term relationships require work from time to time. Sometimes a lot of work, like chopping wood or breaking up concrete, which appears to be a lot of work although I have never personally done either. The thought of breaking concrete makes my shoulders hurt and I'd cut something off if I so much as picked up an ax, hatchet, saw, or knife. Even the word "concrete" looks meaty. The guys that I see smashing things or cutting thing up or down are as a general rule pretty big so I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's hard work. It would be hard work for me, anyway, and that's all I care about it.

I talk to boys and girls young enough to be my children but plenty old enough to be in a serious relationship, who are just starting the process. They don't seem to be too hip to the idea that work will be involved.

SuperK and I were marveling at the ebb and flow of 21 years as a couple the other day. Mostly, it has been good and easy, or at least comfortable as an old shoe, which SuperK apparently thinks I am.


"A little worn out, though," she said.
"Do I at least have good support?" I asked.
"Oh, yeah, great support," she said, breezily, exiting the room.

We calculated our time together as follows:
Really great: 5 years. 25%.
Really fucking awful: 2 years. 10%.
Very nice: 13 years. I'm assuming this is about 65% but I'm not going to do the math, exactly. I just added 25 and 10 and came up with the 65. I don't want to reach across the desk for a calculator or figure out anything in my head, which only bolsters my position that I won't break up concrete.

We keep going back to the long version of The Serenity Prayer with all that crap about being "reasonably happy" and "accepting hardship as a pathway to Peace."

It's worth it. That's the point. Anything worthwhile takes some effort.