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Originally Posted by TomOlympus
I don't believe that she would want to end this now as you say. I believe she would want to try and work through things. But I am also not ready to end this now, nor do I believe she is. I want us both to be in a better place financially and personally before it ever comes to that. In the mean time, I do want to try and make our marriage as happy and meaningful as it can be until then.
The other decision is still out there on how much we actually work to have children. We both want kids, she wants them now, I am not sure because of all this and I want things to be better financially for it as well. Though we are not getting any younger.

Why would you want to have children with someone that you intend to divorce someday? Why would you want to put innocent children through such pain and ugliness?

And how do you know your wife wouldn't choose to end the marriage now if she knew that you didn't intend to stay in this for the long-haul? How can you possibly be so arrogant to think that you have the right to make that sort of decision for another person?

If you're so sure of yourself, why don't you tell her how you're feeling and what you're planning and let her decide for herself?


Me: BS/FWW: 48
BS/WH: 50
DS: 30, 27, 25
DD: 28
OC: 10
BH and I are raising my OC together.
writer1 #2447569 11/30/10 09:51 PM
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Again, I said, I am not ready at this point to make that type of decision. That is not what I want at this point right now. In the end I do have to look out for myself as well.
I also do not believe that is what she would want right now. I am not trying to be arrogant, but due to the fact that my wife is quite good at communication, I know very well who she is and what she wants.

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Originally Posted by TomOlympus
Again, I said, I am not ready at this point to make that type of decision.

So, are you saying that you may actually be willing to commit to working on improving your marriage and developing a loving, mutually-fulfilling relationship with your wife that can last a lifetime?


Me: BS/FWW: 48
BS/WH: 50
DS: 30, 27, 25
DD: 28
OC: 10
BH and I are raising my OC together.
writer1 #2447572 11/30/10 09:56 PM
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Originally Posted by writer1
Originally Posted by TomOlympus
Again, I said, I am not ready at this point to make that type of decision.

So, are you saying that you may actually be willing to commit to working on improving your marriage and developing a loving, mutually-fulfilling relationship with your wife that can last a lifetime?

I honestly do not know that it could be mutually fulfilling.

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Originally Posted by TomOlympus
Originally Posted by writer1
Originally Posted by TomOlympus
Again, I said, I am not ready at this point to make that type of decision.

So, are you saying that you may actually be willing to commit to working on improving your marriage and developing a loving, mutually-fulfilling relationship with your wife that can last a lifetime?

I honestly do not know that it could be mutually fulfilling.

Well, you'll never know unless you try. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

What are you afraid of? If you try and fail, you're no worse off than you are now.


Me: BS/FWW: 48
BS/WH: 50
DS: 30, 27, 25
DD: 28
OC: 10
BH and I are raising my OC together.
writer1 #2447574 11/30/10 09:59 PM
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There are some things that I don't know if they could change to the point of being satisfying. I mean, we can change our habits and what we do to please the other person and make them happy and all. But physical attractiveness is not usually something that all of a sudden gets better with age. Even if all the other things change, that one does not usually change drastically for the better.

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Originally Posted by TomOlympus
But physical attractiveness is not usually something that all of a sudden gets better with age. Even if all the other things change, that one does not usually change drastically for the better.

I don't think this is necessarily true.

How old are you and your wife?

I started paying much more attention to my appearance in my mid-30's than I ever did in my 20's. I started eating better and exercising more. I felt (and looked) much better than I did when I was younger and not really paying attention to any of that (mostly because I was too busy chasing around after a bunch of little kids to think much about how I looked).

What is it about your wife's physical appearance that you don't like? Have you shared your concerns with her and at least given her a chance to address them?

You married her, so I'm assuming that you found her physically attractive at one time. Why do you assume that you cannot do so again?


Me: BS/FWW: 48
BS/WH: 50
DS: 30, 27, 25
DD: 28
OC: 10
BH and I are raising my OC together.
writer1 #2447577 11/30/10 10:12 PM
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I guess that is one part of my previous posts you have not read. No, I did not have a time when I was physically attracted to my wife.
But I do have a desire to be with someone who I am physically attracted to.
We are both around 30 years old. But no, I do not consider the idea of her becoming a whole lot more attractive as she gets older, I just don't see that happening. If she lost some weight it would help, but overall attractiveness, no.

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Originally Posted by TomOlympus
I guess that is one part of my previous posts you have not read. No, I did not have a time when I was physically attracted to my wife.

Why would you marry someone that you weren't physically attracted to?

Or is this typical wayward history rewriting, since it seems that at the very least you are currently involved in an EA?


Me: BS/FWW: 48
BS/WH: 50
DS: 30, 27, 25
DD: 28
OC: 10
BH and I are raising my OC together.
writer1 #2447600 12/01/10 03:05 AM
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I'm a whole lot more attractive than I was 5 years ago, because my husband was honest with me about how he felt.
I lost a whole load of weight, started dressing and doing my hair completely differently and learned to really listen to him.
It took a whole lot of work from both of us over two years or so but marriage builders works as a complete program, you can't cherry pick the bits that look easiest and expect it to work.
Thats all you've done so far from being here, and you say you're listening but ignore the most important bits.


Me: 32
H: 35
Married 9 years, together 12.
Two little girls, 7 and 3.
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Please don't have children with someone with whom there is a fair to good chance you will divorce. Even if it doesn't end in divorce it sounds like you've got a huge chance of modeling an unsatisfying marriage. It's not fair to the children. Don't create people to damage.


Last edited by Sandra2; 12/01/10 03:35 AM.

Wife/BS (37) to H (37)
2 children, both 7 years old
Married 15 years
Affair of 3ish months, Disc. 2/20
NC letter to OW 2/22
Sandra2 #2447632 12/01/10 07:51 AM
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Your intense focus on finance is distracting you from the real problems. Your biggest obstacle is your own dishonesty. At some point you will have to face it. It's going to be really hard. It's going to take a ton of work. It's going to take time. You're marriage doesn't stand a chance without you facing it.


This stuff that's hurting right now, this pain, this fear,
it's temporary.
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Originally Posted by TomOlympus
Originally Posted by stillhere8126
Thats what my WH did with OW before he left me for her....he complained to her, NOT ME!!!!..I guess I wasnt having enough sex with him or paying enough attention to him (I was taking care of a toddler while he was "complaining" about me to someone else)...OW was single and living with her mom and worked with my H, so she had plenty of time to meet his needs...

Wish I knew he was that unhappy...I wasnt too happy either, but I figured that things like that happen after you have a baby....Stupid me.....stupid stupid me....Wish I took that damn mind reading seminar when I had the chance, but I was too busy paying attention to my DS...and wasnt told that my H wasnt happy about that.

Maybe you should tell your W about the class...so she can have the opportunity to save her M.

Yes, I have that friend who I talk to/complain to about the marriage and situations. She does the same with me, we are each others shoulder/ear to lean on when we need to vent and find comfort in someone else having similar problems. It helps us both to know that we are not alone in the way we are feeling.
Yes, that "OW" has been discussed here in the past as well. We had a period of time where we were not talking as much, and then got closer again this school year. That is when feelings began to grow (at no point before that did I ever have actual feelings for her). But after a while those feelings faded again. The intesity of the friendship tends to come and go, but I still believe it will never be anything more than that. It is simply nice to have someone who completely understands what you are going through and helps talk you through it and gives you ideas to work on it.

You said you wished that you had had sex more with your husband, I wish it were that easy. I don't see more sex with the spouse as a means to fixing our issues. She tries to, I don't want to that often. I wish I wanted to more often with her.


If THAT is what you got from my post...you are worse at communicating than my H was....

Last edited by stillhere8126; 12/01/10 08:26 AM. Reason: GRAMMAR!!!!!!!

BW me-41
WH -39
DS - 9
married 12 Yrs together(?) 18 yrs when A discovered
DDay aug 2007
found MB dec 2007
Moved out april 2008
still seeing OW
Plan B

Okay I fixed the ages, it was looking screwy. smile
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Originally Posted by TomOlympus
I guess that is one part of my previous posts you have not read. No, I did not have a time when I was physically attracted to my wife.
But I do have a desire to be with someone who I am physically attracted to.
We are both around 30 years old. But no, I do not consider the idea of her becoming a whole lot more attractive as she gets older, I just don't see that happening. If she lost some weight it would help, but overall attractiveness, no.


Round and round we go...when it will stop..nobody knows. crazy


I think YOU should reread this thread Tom.... sigh


BW me-41
WH -39
DS - 9
married 12 Yrs together(?) 18 yrs when A discovered
DDay aug 2007
found MB dec 2007
Moved out april 2008
still seeing OW
Plan B

Okay I fixed the ages, it was looking screwy. smile
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Originally Posted by TomOlympus
I don't see more sex with the spouse as a means to fixing our issues. She tries to, I don't want to that often. I wish I wanted to more often with her.

That is like wishing to win the lottery but not buying any tickets. You will never "want to" more often unless you allow yuorself to develop positive feelings toward your wife. If you don't allow her to meet your needs, you will never develop positive feelings toward her.

But you won't change. It is more important to you to justify your continuing animosity toward your wife than to make changes that would allow you to find happiness. I know how easy it is to fall into that trap. Welcome to h3ll. If you find the path out, let me know. I can assure you, having walked farther down the road you are on, that the path you are on now is NOT the way out. But it seems you will have to discover that for yourself.


When you can see it coming, duck!
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Originally Posted by holdingontoit
But you won't change. It is more important to you to justify your continuing animosity toward your wife than to make changes that would allow you to find happiness.

Actually, if I understand Tom correctly, the reason he won't try the program is because he believes it would be a lot of work and that happiness shouldn't take that much work. Do I understand correctly, Tom?


If you are serious about saving your marriage, you can't get it all on this forum. You've got to listen to the Marriage Builders Radio show, every day. Install the app!

Married to my radiant trophy wife, Prisca, 19 years. Father of 8.
Attended Marriage Builders weekend in May 2010

If your wife is not on board with MB, some of my posts to other men might help you.
markos #2447697 12/01/10 09:24 AM
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All of this is moot since he is still involved in an EA with his female coworker.

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Originally Posted by Tawandabelle
All of this is moot since he is still involved in an EA with his female coworker.


Yup.


BW me-41
WH -39
DS - 9
married 12 Yrs together(?) 18 yrs when A discovered
DDay aug 2007
found MB dec 2007
Moved out april 2008
still seeing OW
Plan B

Okay I fixed the ages, it was looking screwy. smile
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[Linked Image from smileyshut.com]

Mooooooot!!!


BW me-41
WH -39
DS - 9
married 12 Yrs together(?) 18 yrs when A discovered
DDay aug 2007
found MB dec 2007
Moved out april 2008
still seeing OW
Plan B

Okay I fixed the ages, it was looking screwy. smile
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Originally Posted by TomOlympus
I don't believe that she would want to end this now as you say. I believe she would want to try and work through things. But I am also not ready to end this now, nor do I believe she is. I want us both to be in a better place financially and personally before it ever comes to that. In the mean time, I do want to try and make our marriage as happy and meaningful as it can be until then.
The other decision is still out there on how much we actually work to have children. We both want kids, she wants them now, I am not sure because of all this and I want things to be better financially for it as well. Though we are not getting any younger.

You know, if you ended this marriage and began another relationship, it would take effort to make that relationship happy as well. In fact, it would take more effort. You can learn those lessons here with the woman you are married to, or you can learn them down the road in a few years, with even more struggles, with the odds stacked against you even higher.

Your best shot at happiness is right here.


If you are serious about saving your marriage, you can't get it all on this forum. You've got to listen to the Marriage Builders Radio show, every day. Install the app!

Married to my radiant trophy wife, Prisca, 19 years. Father of 8.
Attended Marriage Builders weekend in May 2010

If your wife is not on board with MB, some of my posts to other men might help you.
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