30 years

On the 9th April this year my wife and I will have been married for 30 years.

Cue fanfare, music, fireworks … 21-gun salute…I’m expecting a letter off her majesty tbh.

Now those of you that know me will be expecting some wise-ass remark along the lines of … “Married – ha – I’d get a shorter sentence for murder” ….or maybe… “I haven’t said a word to my wife in the last 12 months….I didn’t like to interrupt …”

But – and I’ve got to be honest here – and I can do this because I know she never reads this – getting married was THE best decision I have ever made.  Actually, I say best decision ‘I’ ever made – I doubt very much that I actually made the decision.  I think she told me we were getting married.

Let me take you back in time.

I actually met my wife 35 years ago and was instantly smitten.  Cut-off jeans, Benetton top, hair back-combed to about a foot high and make-up that just went on forever.  Not the tallest lady you’ve ever seen… but boy was she put together well.  All curves in the right places and an attitude that was so fired up.  Her first words to me were … “don’t ever call me cute” …so that’s exactly what I’ve been doing for the last three and half decades – her feet are a size 3 for goodness sake – come on you gotta laugh at those size threes.

My wife has been there through thick and thin.

From starting out in a small office in Stockport and living on the floor – eating McDonalds for breakfast and washing in the sink, to getting invited on a speaking tour of America and getting put up in some of the best hotels… with all expenses paid.

She’s supported me when times have been hard – when businesses have failed (through no fault of our own…) and she’s been there to see the success that hard work and dedication can bring.

She’s never complained about anything – other than me driving too fast – then being a dick and driving too slow… just to wind her up.

She has even given me a mantra to live by –

“If there is something you can do about the problem – then why worry.  If there’s nothing you can do about the problem – then what’s the point worrying.”  She said this to me during one of the shittiest times of my life and to be honest it’s stuck with me through all the rough times – and I’ve often repeated it to people going through difficult periods with their business life.

So, we find ourselves with two kids and a lifetime of pretty much good memories and a wish to just go back and do it all again.  Personally, I wouldn’t change a thing – except maybe the odd occasion when she left me and went back to her mother’s – which she does do, pretty regularly.  But then again, I can be a dick on a pretty regular basis – which seems to coincide with the times that she leaves… so …I can forgive her for that.

I generally pick up that I’m in trouble when I’m too far in to back out – and only realise the danger when she says something along the lines of …. “don’t EVER talk to me like that…” or …. “WHO THE HELL do you think you are …”

At this point it’s a case of damage mitigation and the best thing to do is just stand back and take the barrage that is coming.  I’ve never learned how to avoid these situations but maybe have mellowed a little over the years and don’t get myself in quite as much shit as I used to ….?

Still happens though.

I think we’re a pretty good team and could never imagine not having her in my life.

So, here’s to the next 30 – thanks Pam.

Mike C