Strange Love

Eric and I were reminded a few weeks ago of how different our relationship can seem to some couples. There are people who think it is so strange that Eric is "ok" with me traveling to dance competitions without him, and people who think it is strange that I am "ok" with Eric not really being into coming to dance competitions with me.

Let me assure those of you who are skeptical that is REALLY is "ok" with both of us. Eric and I are individually very independent and very confident, both in ourselves and in each other. I really and truly don't need him to go to competitions with me. I know that he's not that into dancing, and I don't need for him to pretend to be. It does nothing for me to force him to do something he's not interested in. I'm not that into poker, and I'd certainly rather stay home with the kids than go hang out and watch him play poker for a weekend.

I don't even talk about dancing that much with Eric. I give him the Reader's Digest version of the weekend when I get home. But I know he doesn't care about what cool move Sam and Denise Miller did in their solo, or whose partnership broke up, or the amazing costume that Brandi was wearing, and it really doesn't bother me that he doesn't care about those things. I have Mom and Melissa to call and talk about those things with. Eric celebrates my wins and sympathizes with my losses, and that's plenty for me.

I love that Eric gets the kids completely to himself a few weekends every year. I'm sure the kids love that they get a break from me a few weekends every year.

I know that if I ever really want Eric to come to an event, he will. He came to a few events in the beginning, enough for him to get the feel of what goes on. And there may be some point in the future, if I ever make it to the Master's division, where I want him to come to an event again.

I've taken him to a few competitions that were in fun places, like Vegas and New Orleans. In Vegas he played poker all weekend while I danced, and he'd never been to New Orleans before (we went before Katrina, so New Orleans was still in it's glory), so we've done the competition-slash-mini vacation thing.

But we can both say without reservation that our arrangement isn't strange to us. It doesn't "say" anything negative about our relationship. Don't be worried. If you start seeing us attached at the hip, calling each other 47 times per day, and crying when the other leaves the house, that's when you can start worrying.