So yes. I’m not going to mince words on this one: the shiny newness of relationships ALL FADE after awhile. Halle Berry can tell you that, like, fifteen times over, and oh, so can Jennifer Aniston. Everything bright and promising does tend to dull after so many instances of waking up next to the same old, funk-breathed face day in and day out. Let’s not kid ourselves.
However, in some relationships, that ‘newness’ fades into a comfortable companionship. My husband and I have been together a total of six years, married for four of them, and our ‘newness’ kind of went away six months into the relationship. Yes, some fade faster than others, and for how fast our pretty gift-wrapped relationship faded, I thought for sure we’d be through by the end of the first year. Fortunately, (and for, like, only the second time in my life) I was wrong.
The novelty wore off, but our comfort level sunk in. Like, WAY IN. These days, dressing up for a non-home-cooked meal consists of ‘good’ yoga pants and eating Chinese takeout on the floor in the living room. Party on, Wayne (party on, Garth). These days, repulsive emissions of bodily gas results in fits of laughter rather than looks of disgust. These days, it’s ‘Hey, you have a big old pimple on your back … let me get that,’ instead of politely looking the other way and trying not to focus on it during an honest attempt at climax.
Anyway. You get my point.
The main exercise for the day was to assess whether or not those things that initially attracted us still stoke the fires within. My husband’s finer qualities included a mutual love for Radiohead, a comprehensive knowledge of fine wines, and a banging sense of fashion. My husband claims that my major attractables included a great backside, an easy way of laughing, and kind eyes.
After closely examining these things this afternoon, and even though my husband’s swanky style has succumbed to Daddy-hood and my eyes are more apt to narrow in work-related concentration these days than to toss kind, simpering glances around, at the end of the day? We’ve still got it.
The second part of the experiment revolved around snapping out of the daily grind of day-to-day life and experiencing one another in different atmospheres and situations.
So, next big milestone on the relationship to-do list?
Get in the car, go for a drive, and eat INSIDE the Chinese food restaurant. But guys? The yoga pants are staying.
Stay tuned for day four, and for more information about the Intimacy Experiment, make sure to check out K-Y Brand’s Facebook Page, Couples Place.
Also, don’t forget to enter for your chance to win a K-Y Intimacy Experiment kit of your own – leave it in the comments!
I wrote this posting while participating in a blog campaign on behalf of K-Y® Brand and also received product samples to help facilitate my review. In addition, K-Y® Brand sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate
Sarah, please, you’re ruining my day. I thought this post was actually very sweet. I don’t like that, thank you very much.
Sorry, Sammy! ;)
Dear Sarah, stop posting stupid crap. Why are you the only person on Evil Beet who posts stuff that is just stupid? I can literally make myself not look at the poster, read a post, and guess if it’s you or not. gtfo
Wow, PRISS, your name speaks volumes. Maybe if you were paying attention you would realize this is for a contest. I think our newness faded after like 2 years…We have been married for 2 1/2 and together for 4. It came back for a while after he got back from Iraq so that was nice..We did have date night the other night at a mexican restaurant so we are trying with a new baby and all :)
Kristen, I am talking about how she words everything she posts. My name is priss because my real name is Priscilla, genius. My mom named me, not me.