Do I Need to be Married???

I was talking to a friend the other day about marriage. She told me that she wanted to be married. She didn't need it, but wanted it. Now she is the kind of gal who will not say the word "got" because, and these are her words, btw, 'you don't got anything. You recieve something or you may have it, but you don't got anything.' She is a very literal person and her words are very carefully chosen. So... my curiousity grew and I had to ask. You don't need to be married? Nope she said. Then she explained. Marriage is a device in life that some people can live with or without. The trick to keeping a marriage going to make sure the other person can't live without you, making them feel like they are appreciated in the marriage and that you too can't live without them. She continued... I make good money, I don't need his. I know how to budget, so I don't need him to do finances. I don't need sex but I enjoy it. So why do you need marriage? Because he keeps my head level, he helps me keep my common sense about me. He tells me thank you for the little and big things I do. And in return I tend to his every need, his laundry, his children, his bills and let him go out without nagging him to death about when is he going to come home and help me.

He appreciates her and she loves him for that. Now... to me that's a working marriage. That's when I look at my own marriage and ask... do I need to be married? No... he has given me grief, never pleasure over the last year. Before then, still it was no. He didn't give me grief, but he never told me thank you for what I did. He never appreciated what I gave to the family, but expected more. And when I needed help or something done, I not only had to ask many times, not getting it that way I would have to cry... yell or get angry. Then I turned into a negative person... Not good. And I have often said that I didn't like that part of me. I don't ever want to see that side of me.

So essentially looking at marriage as a whole, she is right and I have no marriage that I need or want. The decision was made and will be kept to move on.