What's funny is that before that sacred trip to City Hall, I prided myself on my ability to compromise, listen, not take other people for granted, honor differences and cultivate honest communication. Lots of times I straight-up suck at it. In fact they come off as controlling, stubborn, myopic, self-centered and sometimes have the undesirable effect of making my husband feel as if his presence is superfluous in my life. But the days when I could simply vent my frustrations by being extra funky to the brother at the newsstand, or by calling myself a jerk and promising to do a little better next time, are over. These days the repercussions are a whole lot deeper.
Marriage introduces the concept of daily accountability.
Every time I blow up and fail to deal with my issues, I've had a negative impact on another life. And for that, like it or not, there are consequences to be suffered. I don't have to go back to that newstand. I do have to go home that night. This is not the sort of thing my single friends really want to hear.