The Clone Theory

My wife L and I are blessed with an ability to get along that few possess. We have been told by many friends and strangers alike that we get along too well for people that have been together for ten years. Most of our sickening of other couples is based on a solid foundation. We enjoy the same music, movies, hobbies, and political views. Sometimes I find it to be the little things that drive other couples crazy. This is one of the places that L and I have been lucky. Things like being the same temperature. When she is cold, I'm cold. Also, we seem to have the same taste in food at the same time. Just yesterday, L and I were sitting at a restaurant looking at the menus and we both locked in on the same menu item. We ended up splitting the same dish. Now this seems like a basic thing to some, but there have been several times I have heard other couples fighting over where to eat because one or the other doesn't like a particular type of food. If you like seafood and your mate doesn't, things can get touchy for a really simple reason. Don't get me wrong people, it hasn't been all fun and games in the geek household. We have fought and had some real doozies over the years but I attribute that to my clone theory.

It is my belief that a lot of relationships fail because people don' t take the time to understand each other. One day, I was sitting reflecting on how well L and I get along and came up with an epiphany that eventually I just started calling the clone theory. I was thinking of the person that I would most get along with in the world if I didn't have L. The answer...Me! I have everything in common with me. No one understands me better than me! I'm an easy person to get along with. I would never have fights with myself. Then my brain switched to practicality mode. If I cloned myself, my other self would be a new person from that day on. The other me would have to get a job and do all the other things people do. Then it occurred to me that there would be instances where I wouldn't get along with myself. For example, I imagined myself going to work and having a terrific day. I come home, make myself a little snack, and sit on the couch and read or turn on the evil black box until the other me comes home and I can tell him what a wonderful day I had. I imagined the other me having a miserable day, one of those days where Murphy seems to be at your every turn. My clone enters the house just wanting some peace and quiet but I want to hang out and tell him what a great day I had. Just the fact that I'm in a good mood pisses off my clone even more. He is already at his wits end and loses his cool with me. Now you know how it is when you're having a good time and someone spoils the fun. It can piss you off tremendously.

The point I'm trying to make with my theory is, no matter how well you get along with someone, there will always be friction at times. There is no happily ever after. There is just happily 95% of the time after if you're lucky like me. The key is to not let the five percent overshadow the 95.