Monday, December 13, 2004

agree or disagree?

I feel my future spouse spends too much time in front of the TV...
I sometimes wonder whether or not my future spouse is being completely honest with me...
My future spouse has an anger / temper which sometimes frightens me...
I believe a Catholic who wishes to marry in the Catholic church should practice his/her religion...
Etc., etc., etc., for 164 questions.

This was the "compatibility test" that Dustin and I had to take Saturday morning in order to get married in the Catholic church. 164 questions. They ranged from questions about each other's tempers, beliefs, money spending habits, etc., to how we will raise our children, questions about sex, and other different topics. It was wild. I was expecting Msgr. to put us in different rooms, or at least at opposite ends of the long table he seated us at, but we were right next to each other. So, of course, as you can expect, there was a lot of, "What'd you put for #...?"

I had told Dustin going in to just be completely honest--that way, if there WAS things we disagreed on, it would be better to discuss and get over them now, rather than waiting until we get married for something to blow up in our faces. But, it was actually hard to be completely honest on it! (Especially since we were sitting RIGHT NEXT to each other, and any time a poignant question came up that either of us related to our relationship, we just HAD to ask the other, "What'd you put for this one?") I think if we would have been in separate rooms, or at least farther apart, it wouldn't have been sooo hard to be 110% honest. But this way, we each pretty much knew how the other was answering for everything, and if one of us noticed the other answering differently, it was almost like one of us got offended. I guess, in a way, it was like we didn't want to "open up a can of worms" on certain, touchy subjects, but like I said, I'd rather do it NOW than wait for something to boil and explode later down the line.

Plus, I think it will be easier to get into and discuss all of this stuff w/ a "mediator" (so to speak) like Msgr. present w/ us, and helping us TALK (as opposed to SCREAM) through issues. However, I know the few BIG THINGS that are going to be harder for us to really get into, and (knowing how I am) I'm almost positive there will be tears at some point, either during the talks or once he and I get into the car. But I don't want any arguments, or harsh words, or hurt feelings, to come from EITHER of us before, during, or after the discussions over the test. I want BOTH of us to see this as a learning experience and a chance to really work through our problems and get over our pettier ones NOW, before we let them fester into BIGGER problems down the line. I really honestly think it will be therapeutic for us. (And, in some cases, needed.

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