"My Husband is a Sportsaholic"

His Turn, continued

"She's acting more and more like my mother. I grew up in Boston, the older of two boys. My parents were Holocaust survivors who emigrated to America right after the war. Dad was a businessman who was hardly ever home, and my mother was a homemaker. I don't think their marriage was especially happy. Mom was opinionated and controlling; she never stopped issuing orders-- clean your room, take a shower, practice the piano, do your homework. If I didn't follow through immediately, she laid a guilt trip on me.

"I escaped to the park-- I lived to play ball, and I dreamed of becoming a professional. I never got that far, but I was captain of the basketball and football teams and named to the all-state team in football at my university.

"In college, I took a photography course and realized I was good. When I graduated, I became an assistant to a photographer for several years, then formed a partnership with a colleague. We've done well.

"I had one serious relationship before Meryl-- our breakup was so devastating that for a long time, I didn't date at all. But when I met Meryl, I was captivated by her energy and her beauty. Here was one smart, spunky lady who could get me talking about feeling I'd never shared.

"We moved fast, but we both knew what we wanted. But now Meryl has changed--and our marriage is a disaster because of it. She'll start fights about things that never bothered her before. Every argument goes around in endless circles, then she threatens to leave. And she has the nerve to be upset that I don't bring her flowers anymore? I can't live like this."