I can hardly believe it, but I've read this entire thread over the last few days. Wow.
You know, Earl (do you mind if I call you Earl, Earl?) did you notice how you characterize your success? You didn't embarrass her? You did a LOT better than that, and you clearly know it and want to hint at what a great job you did--you told us what the members of the group said to you, after all--but you stop short of actually saying that you did a great job. You simply somehow managed not to be an embarrassment to your wife. Whew! Dodged a bullet there, those people don't realize how incompetent and embarrassing you really are, right?
I give it about 50/50 odds that you'll come back and tell me that you were only saying it the way your wife sees it, and of course you realize how good you are at what you do. But unless you were quoting her verbatim, I'm not buying it.
Bottom line: if you were as confident and as happy with yourself as you make out, you'd think you were worth fighting for. Your actions show that you don't think you're worth fighting for.
Your perception of reality, all new age jargon about occurring aside, is distorted by misery and self-doubt. Don't trust it.
