"Bud, I spent close to twenty years living that hell."
We are surrounded by failed marriages. I'm single and never been married, and I love my freedom. I get lonely--and don't believe in shacking up, not that I don't think about it--but that's the price of the freedom. Like I read somewhere: "Freedom means no home, Home means no freedom"...or at least not the kind of freedom the wanderer has.
Are you completely burned against marriage or do you see any hope there for yourself? I worry because so many marriages are failing, and I do wonder if singleness is the better option given these times of all the little gods and goddesses running around thinking they deserve to have the best of everything (i.e. full of pride, which is fatal to a marriage).
In my first marriage, I wasn't perfect. Hell, I'm not perfect now. Nobody is. Living with someone else is like living with two minds, never quite in sync.
Rationality is the key. If she's rational, you'll get along. If she's not, there's no basis for settling differences. And this doesn't mean victory. It can even mean, we agree to disagree amicably.
My first wife was as irrational a person as you'd ever meet. If we didn't have money, and money was tight then, her comeback was that she deserved to have whatever she wanted and that was that. To hell with the bills and whatever was important. The examples could be legion.
The scenario Dirtboy laid out was like a blow by blow from my first marriage. It almost brough a panic attack on. LOL, just kidding but seriously, what a waste of time.
I am married to one of the most level-headed people I've ever met. She is beautiful, extremely capable, and happy within herself.
I wish for any guy the same luck that I have experienced. It will be a blessing to them.
Don't go out looking. Be a little bit of a joiner. Meet people. Sooner or later you'll meet the right one.
My wife now spends time doing her thing, and I mine. But it's nice to have someone around for shared experiences.
Single life can been quite enjoyable. Some people perfer it, and if you do more power to you. If it gets old, here's to wishing you success in finding someone to "ENJOY" life with.
D1