[geeks] new lists? 8-)

[Peter L. Wargo]

On Thu, 13 Dec 2001, Amy wrote:

> i mean, damn, be realistic. stop thinking that she'll change cause noone's
> gonna change. not you, not her, not it, not the dog or the cat. i didnt
> marry the man cause i wanted to change him. i married him cause i happened
> to love who he is, even though he's sometimes a loud-mouthed messy git.

Hmmm... Having married the most tolerant person in the known universe, I
guess I wouldn't think along those lines at all.  Chan has her books
(thousands of 'em!), I have my room full of blinking boxes, and we are
both happy.

In fact, she was the one who made me feel good about my hobby, as I was
beating myself up over it.  She also convinced me to spend WAY too much on
a prototype Ultra 1.  She never complained even when we had no space and I
had a pile of 2/120's and a rack mounted Sun-1.  (Why did I ever trade
that? D'oh!)

I would think that most of us on this list are in the same situation.
But, it doesn't mean that we can't poke fun at ourselves, or the
tolerance of our spouses - Chan and I do it all the time.  

Remember, the only opinion that *really* counts is that of your spouse.  I
know that there are people at work who think I'm whipped, as I call Chan
before I go out after work. (I like to make sure she doesn't have plans
already, etc.)  I honestly don't care what they think.  I know that there
are people who don't like me (hard to believe, I know!), but screw 'em!
Life is just too short to sweat stuff like that.

Taking it a bit further, what if there are clueless geeks on this list who
have the wrong impression of your relationship with Bill?  Who cares?
Does it make him any less in your eyes, or you in his?  Ignore 'em, laugh
at 'em.  I'd be willing to bet there are people reading this who envy the
relationship you have, and are sitting there, alone in their mom's
basement, jerking off to internet porn.

Just let it roll of your back.  Hell, I often tell people that the two
words a married man needs are "Yes" and "dear."  I don't believe it, and
anybody who knows Chan and I well wouldn't either, but it's humorous.  I
also joke about being a bald, overweight geek.  Who cares?  (I don't,
because I am a bald, overweight geek.  Who is also happily married,
pulling in a decent salary, owns his own house and vehicles,
has no debt to speak of, and survived a crash that should've killed his
lazy ass.)

Revel in yourself.  Those who like you will like you, those who don't
really don't matter.

-Pete