Marriage is not a universally natural and permanent bond. It’s a construct of society, and often better thought of as a business agreement instead of a fairy tale.
You, like many men, almost certainly wasted far more of your life on people who didn’t appreciate your intentions and contributions. There is no need to continue wasting any more. The tide has turned, and if they want your attention, they can petition for it starting with apologies after they actually realize the difference between “woke” and actually “waking up”.
As far as "guilt": If you never rode a bike before, it feels uncomfortable at first doing so. It's not guilt, but discomfort with unfamiliarity. Well, maybe think of your boundary work similarly: it's not guilt, but unfamiliarity. Something that will soon subside, and you'll be having far happier adventures.
So, good. Stand your ground. Get rid of all that dead weight. Simplify. Eat better, get in better shape, do what you want to do. Live life. Happy trails.
Marriage is not a universally natural and permanent bond. It’s a construct of society, and often better thought of as a business agreement instead of a fairy tale.
You, like many men, almost certainly wasted far more of your life on people who didn’t appreciate your intentions and contributions. There is no need to continue wasting any more. The tide has turned, and if they want your attention, they can petition for it starting with apologies after they actually realize the difference between “woke” and actually “waking up”.
As far as "guilt": If you never rode a bike before, it feels uncomfortable at first doing so. It's not guilt, but discomfort with unfamiliarity. Well, maybe think of your boundary work similarly: it's not guilt, but unfamiliarity. Something that will soon subside, and you'll be having far happier adventures.
So, good. Stand your ground. Get rid of all that dead weight. Simplify. Eat better, get in better shape, do what you want to do. Live life. Happy trails.