Real Stories - June/July 2017

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Since just after we married 25 years ago, my wife has been the undisputed head-of-the-house. Even before we married, we both realized the traditional husband/wife relationship would never suit us. Partly due to personality and temperament, we came to an understanding that my wife would generally make the decisions. Once married my wife quickly took over the finances. She had our joint checking and savings accounts put in her name only and she was always the one who decided how we would spend our money. While my wife had the decisions, I took on the bulk of the household chores. By our first anniversary, my wife had become the head-of-house. She made all the decisions, usually without my input, while I cooked, kept house, and served her needs. My wife also expected me never to question her decisions. And to assert herself, especially in the early years of our marriage, I could count on feeling the back of my wife’s hand across my face on those rare occasions when I failed to obey her. In the bedroom, we had sex when my wife wanted it, which was often, and how she wanted it, which was with her on top.