Is it an aging thing, or are we more obsessed with milestones now than we’ve ever been?

“I’ve been working this job for 45 years,” people say.  Or, “I’ve gone a month without shaving!” (My kind of girl! LOL!) I think it’s because we love long streaks. No one gets excited when the factory sign says ‘1 day since an injury’ —  except, of course, the workers! But make it 138 days, and you’ve got a streak going. Then, if you get to 150, it’s a milestone!!

There are other kinds of milestones, too. I hear getting-old folks saying things like, “It’s been a year since I’ve had gluten,” or “I haven’t had a drink in nine years, six months, 14 days, three hours and 11 seconds … 12 …!”   (Hey, I don’t judge! But if you’re that on top of the count, I’d highly recommend sticking with the meetings!)

Well, I have reached a milestone that I would have thought to be virtually unattaiinable, like Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak. My beautiful wife Carrie and I are celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary this weekend! (In lieu of cards, please make your checks payable to the Long Island Home for the Really, Really, REALLY Insane.”)

If you would have asked me on our wedding day how long we’d be together, I’d probably have wisecracked, “I hope we make it through the dessert.” But who DOES know? We’ve been blessed to have each other to hold onto for this long, and my hope is that we have another 100 years together. It’s been joyful, maddening, blissful, combative, hilarious, scary… and perfect! That’s what a marriage is. But most of all, it’s been the best life I could have imagined!

We met through a personal ad I placed in the newspaper, and she sent a photo that blew me away. She was beautiful (still is!). I must have asked a million times, why would a girl like this have to meet someone through a personal ad? (In an unfortunate circumstance, the photo she sent was taken under a sign that read, “Golden Nugget, Las Vegas.” My father’s radar sounded the alert. “She’s a gambler. You’re going to have to watch your money with this one,” he said. I was working nights on the newspaper copy desk. “WHAT money, Pop???”)

Right away, we got off on the wrong foot. She only agreed to go out with me on a first date because “Dynasty,” her favorite prime-time TV soap, was pre-empted. And she reminds me of that to this day! On our second date, she made me get a telephone answering machine. I think it was because coming over to my apartment to tell me what to do was too much work, so this way, she could simply leave messages telling me what to do. And somehow, I allowed that to happen. What can I say… I was already falling in love. And within a week, I was housebroken, just the way she liked. (Full disclosure: I liked it too!)

What makes a marriage work? I don’t have the secret, but I think it has to do with being able to put up with each other. She has schtick like you wouldn’t believe. She won’t go outside in the summer because of bugs, brings her own sheets and towels to hotels because… uch! She makes us all wear hoodies in the house in winter because she’s too hot and won’t turn up the thermostat, and there’s no food in my house from Memorial Day to Labor Day. (“Sorry, summer schedule!”) My schtick? Also lots. But to sum it up, I refer you to the cover photo of this blog. That’s me in my natural state. “Don’t you have anything to do today?” she’ll say. “Paint? Powerwash? How about just putting your shoes away?” “I’ll get to it later, hon. There’s a movie on right now that I want to watch for the 97th time!” Oh, and also, no matter where I am in the world, I can guarantee you that I am somehow in her way.

Yet we put up with it.

We’ve raised three beautiful, remarkable girls together in our “starter house,” which is looking more and more like our “ender house” too! So long as it’s filled with love and laughter, I don’t care what you call it. I call it the only place I really want to be.

Here’s to us, Kitty! I am still so crazy about you!