Gone fishing..

It's ironic that we actually went fishing yesterday since I sometime feel like I literally live by that idiom, "gone fishing", this phrase refers to someone who has consciously removed him/herself from a situation. When the stress of modern life becomes a bit too much, an idyllic retreat can be just what is needed to regain a sense of calm... 

I dislike fishing because it involves stringing up some form of slimy bait which rattles my severe case of germophobia and then sitting and waiting patiently for something to happen..another thing I don't do well but I went along yesterday because it was something to occupy time and create a space that seemed different even though it was temporary. I say its ironic also because its my anniversary (7 years married but 16 years together!) today and on this day I find myself wondering how other people keep from feeling like they need a break from their lives. I know the spiel, life is tough, relationships need work, healing takes time...these are the things we are told over and over, generally in situations where people really don't have anything more specific or meaningful to say, and often times find themselves in a state of self reflection as a result of it. But really, I would think that rather than celebrate with nice dinners, jewelry, flowers and such, maybe the anniversary should be spent as a time to reflect on life and in a sense revise ones strategy for dealing with life's rigors. Maybe there are couples out there with perfect relationships that don't get strained in any way by the little (or big) things but I'll be the first to say that I'm not perfect so what happens when we stop trying? When we've gone fishing..