So yesterday Tom and I went out on a date. Yes, after nearly 29 years we still go out. We went to the movie theater, but do you know what? For only the third time ever, we each watched a different movie. Tom really, really wanted to see Beowulf (barfo... But he loved it.). I really, really wanted to see Dan In Real Life (and I loved that way more than I'd thought I would, even.).

Afterward, we went to the local buffet restaurant and chatted about the movies we'd seen and about the previews we'd watched, too, many which made us ask, "Why do they only squeeze all the great movies into, like, December through March instead of spreading them out over the whole year?" (Living in snow country, we really don't appreciate that since we tend to hibernate during those months.)

Anyway. How freeing it feels to not get all mad, hurt and upset if Tom doesn't want to see the movie I'm longing to see. In the old days, I could sulk for a week about that and say things like, "There's no way we're gonna sit in separate theaters! We either go together or we stay home." (And then stay home, in separate rooms, because we were mad and disappointed in each other.)

How wonderful to grow-up! To crave peace more than having one's own controlling way. To give the other person space to be who they are and freedom to see the movie they prefer. And then to return home and spend even more happy time together sharing--online-- the previews we'd seen separately at the theater. (Oh, and have you seen the National Guard 'movie video'? It wasn't shown in Tom's theater so we viewed it together online. Made me all teary-eyed all over again.)

I totally recommend Dan In Real Life. I came away feeling like I'd attended my own family reunion in the most amazing old house (complete with a 'kids' table') on a misty-grey lake. Such a decent movie and I never once felt embarrassed for the two teeny-bopper girls in front of me in the nearly-empty theater (our theater is nearly always nearly-empty, that's why I love it). Yes, it was so devoid of bad language, sex and violence that at one point I asked myself, "Do they even make movies like this anymore?"

So refreshing... and such a simple, fun Saturday here in our tiny spot of the world.