Every so often, I check in with Robert Heinlein to see how I’m doing in becoming a person. He wrote a list of skills, through his 
character Lazarus Long, which he thought any human needed to master to be a person:
“A human being should be able to
change a diaper,
plan an invasion,
butcher a hog,
conn a ship,
design a building,
write a sonnet,
balance accounts,
build a wall,
set a bone,
comfort the dying,
take orders,
give orders,
cooperate,
act alone,
solve equations,
analyze a new problem,
pitch manure,
program a computer,
cook a tasty meal,
fight efficiently,
die gallantly.
Specialization is for insects.”
Matt and my 6th Anniversary is today, whch has got me thinking about what skills we’ve learned or hope to learn together as a couple. Here’s my list:
“A couple should be able to
change the subject,
visit family,
organize a party,
fix a car,
move house,
compose a love note,
write a budget,
play with children,
sit in silence,
nurse a cold,
comfort the bereaved,
take criticisms,
give back rubs,
accept apologies,
apologize,
unclog a toilet,
wash dishes,
file taxes,
cook a nutritious meal,
fight fairly,
die compassionately,
Lotharios are for romance novels: I like a man who can talk.
Since we’ve only been married for four months, I can’t speak to what it takes to be a married couple with any authority, but I use today’s inspirational quote and this poem as my guide. Other have written good guides to how to be a couple–I particularly like Dan Savage’s concept of being GGG.
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