It has been a long time since I’ve posted. I’ve been working on a new business with my best friend, Drew Stinson, as my partner. It’s amazing how much time it takes and I’ve never known a lot about things like employees, payroll, taxes, and accounting.

One of the main reasons for doing that is that my wife, Barbara Goode, and I, are getting on in years and without much in the way of prospects for a good retirement. We both need to slow down and spend some time looking after our health.

I wanted her to have at least one day a week that she could take off and do things that are less stressful than what our jobs are. We love taking care and helping developmentally disabled adults. It can be very rewarding, but it can also be very difficult in terms of stress on body and emotions.

We are where we are, both working a stressful job and both feeling the effects of the job and our years, because of setbacks in the economy, injuries, and other things that life has thrown at us. We are losing ground in all areas, but one. We’re still solidly together.

Not everyone has always thought we should be. In fact, many still think we shouldn’t be. After all, we’re both attracted to men and some people think that is an unworkable situation. I know people today who have a fairly secular view of life that refer to my marriage as “your predicament.”  There’s no use explaining to them and I weary of the desire.

My marriage is not a predicament. It is the fulfillment of a dream I’ve had since I was very young, even when I knew that I was attracted to other boys. I always wanted to get married to a good woman and have good children. I didn’t have ambitions to be rich in worldly things, but I’ve succeeded in richness of the things that matter to me.

The difficulties we’ve faced have had nothing at all to do with my same-sex attraction. We’ve been fortunate, but not without struggles.

We’ve been plagued with financial problems, mostly due to a back injury that I sustained on the job in 1980, but recessions and terrorist attacks resulting in layoffs haven’t helped much. Still, through it all, we’ve made it and this summer will be 39 years fighting together. Like the classic song, we know it takes two.

[tube] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mzDQbmtPZ0[/tube]

So, Happy Valentine’s Day, Barbara! Since it takes two, I’m really glad you’re the other one.