reflecting On Marriage

 I don't like surprises. A lesson my husband, Ranger, had to learn the hard way. I do, however, greatly relish occasional and unexpected revelations.

An example from this morning:

I was lying down on the couch, watching Ranger pull up Pandora.com and create a new station. I asked him what the new station was and he said, "Nabucco."

"Nabu-what?"

"Nabucco. It's an Italian opera."

"Oh. What's it about?"

"The story is about the Hebrews in exile from Babylon."

Maybe this sounds like a normal exchange to you, but it was a mild surprise to me. Couple of reasons for this, 1) he's never talked about opera before, much less a specific one from Italy, and 2) I had just seen him finish a youtube video about the Ruger 1022 Takedown (it's a gun...or something...I tried to pay attention but I zoned out within the first 30 seconds) while talking to me about guns and knives and wilderness survival. You know. Man Stuff.

And I expect this sort of Man Stuff from Ranger because that's who he is. He's also a complete sci-fi nerd (Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate, Dr. Who, Firefly...you name it, he's seen it. And loved it). I also expect conversations about preparedness, bug-out bags, Zombie Squad, costuming and online role playing games. (but not LARPing. Everyone's got their limits.)

-Miss Hobbit, this is quite an insight into your life and interests. What do you have in your bug-out bag?
-I didn't say my interests. I said my husband's interests. You don't have to love everything your spouse loves - it's why we're such a terrific match.

And now I find out, with pleasant astonishment, that he is also somewhat versed in classical music and operas.

I love his many dimensions. It's a bit thrilling, too, when I discover a new one. I hope we keep surprising each other like this in the coming years.