Let's Play a Game

So yesterday, I wrote a post about my relationship with my epic wife.

Somewhere in the midst of that most, though, I mentioned The Drawbridge Exercise.

I really shouldn't have skimmed over it like I did, because it's... interesting.

So today, I'm dedicating an entire post to it! Prepare yourself....


The Drawbridge Exercise 

As he left for a visit to his outlying districts, the jealous Baron warned his pretty wife:  “Do not
leave the castle while I am gone, or I will punish you severely when I return!”

But as the hours passed, the young Baroness grew lonely, and despite her husband’s warning,
decided to visit her Lover who lived in the countryside nearby.

The castle was located on an island in a wide, fast flowing river, with a drawbridge linking the
island and the land at the narrowest point in the river.

“Surely my husband will not return before dawn,” she thought, and ordered her servants to lower
the drawbridge and leave it down until she returned.

After spending several pleasant hours with her Lover, the Baroness returned to the drawbridge,
only to find it blocked by a Madman wildly waving a long and extremely sharp knife.

“Do not attempt to cross this bridge, Baroness, or I will kill you,” he raved.  Fearing for her life,
the Baroness returned to her lover and asked him to help.

“Our relationship is only a romantic one,” he said, “I will not help.”  The Baroness then sought
out a Boatman on the river, explained her plight to him, and asked him to take her across the
river in his boat.

“I will do it, but only if you can pay my fee of five Marks.”

“But I have no money with me!” the Baroness protested.

“That is too bad.  No money, no ride,” the Boatman said flatly.

Her fear growing, the Baroness ran crying to the home of a Friend, and after again explaining the
situation, begged for enough money to pay the Boatman his fee.

“If you had not disobeyed your husband, this would not have happened,” the Friend said.  “I will
give you no money.”

With dawn approaching and her last resource exhausted, the Baroness returned to the bridge in
desperation, attempted to cross to the castle, and was slain by the Madman.


Using the following (alphabetical) list of characters, rank the characters (from 1 to 6) in the order of their responsibility for the death of the Baroness.

The Baron ____
The Baroness ____
The Boatman ____
The Friend ____
The Lover ____
The Madman ____

My (very tentative) conclusion:


Baron - 1
Baroness - 2
Boatman - 5
Friend - 3
Lover - 4
Madman - 6

... ... ...

Questions: What were your rankings? Why? What do you think this tells you about what you value?

If you enjoy what you've read, I'd appreciate you subscribing to Life Before the Bucket and sharing this post with your friends. Thanks a million for reading!

It Isn't That Hard

So I live with this girl.

Her and I, we're pretty different.

She likes Pinterest. I like my Playstation.

She runs half-marathons for fun (because she's that epic). I... Well, I cheer for her, and that's pretty fun.

She's smart - sometimes even smarter than me. But I definitely have a better beard than her.

Also worth noting: we're terrible at taking pictures together.
This one is over two and a half years old.

And you know, with all of the personality between the two of us, you would think that World Wars III and IV would take place in our little apartment.

Truth be told, though, that isn't the case.

I know this flies in the face of everything you may have been taught about marriage or have experienced in your own marriage (or in your parent's), but...

We get along.

We kinda like each other a lot.

And I don't know if we've ever gotten in a knock-down, fight-it-out argument. In fact, I'm pretty sure we haven't.

(Yup. Wife just verified it: no WWE Smackdown has ever happened here.)

Oh. Wait. There is this one thing. Just Google "The Drawbridge Exercise." Herein lies the fiercest divide our household has ever seen. You've been warned.

But you know what? We can disagree. And that's okay, too. We allow that around here. But frankly, we agree about almost everything.

Sure, sure, sure. I can just hear it now:

"You're both wearing rose-colored glasses."

"You haven't been married long enough."

"Just wait until you have kids."

Here's the thing, though. We've been through so many ups and downs together that we've essentially bullet-proofed ourselves from any potential collateral damage of circumstantial turmoil.

We've faced death together. We've wrestled with the reality of having a child. I've been sick to the point of not being able move for long periods of time. We've dealt with family conflict. Church drama. School drama. Friends abandoning us. Loved ones leaving.

We've also savored the more fleeting moments of peace and contentment. Sabbath dinners together. Nighttime prayers. Ridiculous dates. Our times of good health. Road trips. Weddings. Birthday parties. Family get-togethers.

High and low, we stay the same. Our love for each other, though expressed differently in varying circumstances, never changes.

And you know what? It isn't that hard.

We haven't had to fight for our marriage.

We don't have to wrestle with trust issues.

We aren't constantly struggling to give love where there is none.

And this isn't to say that we don't care. We love each other fiercely, with unbridled passion for one another. 

I guess it just comes naturally. And we take no credit for that. We give credit where credit is due: to the source of love himself. It wouldn't be possible without him. And you know, it probably wouldn't be this easy, either. 

... ... ...

Question: Should marriage be difficult? Why or why not? What are some ways that you've discovered to have an easier, more fulfilling marriage?

If you enjoy what you've read, I'd also appreciate you subscribing to Life Before the Bucket and sharing this post with your friends. Thanks a million for reading!