Our biggest problem, honestly, in hindsight was a power struggle between us. Oh, for a man who isn't threatened by a strong woman.
Bttrfly, can you really call it a power struggle when you are just being a normal human being with agency and he's a jerk who wants more than 50% of the power in the relationship just because he's "the man"? Unfortunately there are many weak men like that. Even today.
I'll say though, I haven't found it to be as big an issue in my post-divorce dating life as it was when I was in my twenties. Whether the times have changed a bit, or whether mature single men in their 40's - 60's have started to see that damsels in distress are a drag, or that my radar for picking men who aren't put off by strength and intelligence in a woman is better now - not sure.
On a completely different note - Mr. Big Lots got married! I'm so surprised - he was such a died in the wool Love Avoidant! (So much so that after I broke up with him, and he wanted date me again, I made him read an article about Love Avoidants. He showed it to his mother and she said "Yup! That's you!". ) She looks like a lovely woman and he looks happy - heck, he even changed his FB status to "Married" as soon as he announced their surprise destination wedding (not a surprise to his family who were there, I don't think, just not announced to his friends in advance). So that's a good sign and I hope it works out well for them!
