Yes I am married...

A few of my lads think that, now that I am married, I am an authority on relationships...
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This is a very misguided school of thought. I know as much (little) about relationships as most people... I just happen to talk a lot and can often be dangerously convincing.

But I will say this...

I HAVE learned a lot of harsh lessons. Often in humiliatingly public ways. So I can offer the benefit of my inexperience...

1. Nice guys DO NOT finish last. They just have the misfortune of not knowing/believing that they are the finish line.

2. There is NO SUCH THING as the "friend zone". What people call the "friend zone" is just pop-culture sexual myopia. Like the old Jedi saying goes... "There is... Another..."

3. You DO want something from her... Don't lie to yourself.

4. People leave sometimes... It happens. It hurts... But it happens. Far more than you think.

5. It does not matter how beautiful she is. YOU WILL GET BORED! Looks don't fade, people get familiar with them. You know what does not fade? Values and a sharp wit.

6. It does not matter how beautiful she is. At one point or another she has had loud and explosive diarrhea. Trust me, this image will knock her right off that pedestal your mind is putting her on.

7. A lady is one who OFFERS to pay the check or gets the next round. A gentleman is one who APPRECIATES her offer by taking care of it.

8. Yes! She might be an expensive, self-absorbed bitch with a rich old man boyfriend funding her activities. But unless you actually go talk to her to confirm this, you are just a lonely man sitting on a bar stool.

9. If she has a fiance/husband you are not, nor should you ever be, her shoulder to cry on. That's just carrying another man's cross to your crucifixion.

10. A man – or woman - who loves you truly will not make you doubt your position in their life. They will be purposeful in their walk with you.

 

11. Over time I have come to believe that truly, love is a behavior and not a feeling. I saw this in a movie and I can testify to it. It is easy to measure behavior than feelings.

 

12. Communication is Key. Once you lose this, you have lost the plot. If you can still communicate when you’re mad at each other, you have won half the battle.

 

13. For those in dating and courting, 1Corinthians 13:4-8 is a good test for a suitable spouse. Replace the word 'love' with his/her name. If there is a sentence they do not tick, think twice.

 

14. HAVE FUN! Seriously! Time is not infinite. It is always fleeting and beyond the games of youth. Remember that life is an hour glass.