Thank you all for supporting this thread...you may not be supporting "me", but I am warm and content knowing that you find this dialog interesting.
One disclaimer (of sorts): I read the line about Romance novels being female porn in an article somewhere (so it is not an original thought) and I found it to be deliciously provocative and fascinating...and I couldn't resist the tempation to throw it out there. The fact that it elicits such a strong response means that it holds some truth. As I said before, if it was complete nonsense, it would have been ignored!
And I am also happy that the conversation has gone back to the rational side. I have to disregard comments that attack me and my relationship personally, because I haven't provided enough information about my personal situation for anyone to make a really accurate judgement. In fact, the insults are quite revealing about the person doing the talking, because they are based on assumptions, which in turn reveal much about the perspectives and experiences of that person. No, I'm not a psychologist (but I can spell it!).
And for those that think it is "sad" that I am hiding this truth from my wife...well, that is why I am here on this forum, and that is why there is such a strong interest in this thread. Lots of others are in this situation. We know it is sad. We know it is wrong. So we are trying to deal with it. So don't throw out self-righteous comments about you think I am doing something terrible. I know it. I am here (and a hundred or thousand or more others just like me) for help and support. Drop the inflammatory tone and realize that people come here for advice and support, not to be yelled at.
And thank you again for those who support this discussion in its intended spirit.
