[at-l] Spouses who hike together/do singles want hikersfor partners?

[tschamp@tiac.net (The Wizard)]

At 02:06 PM 8/1/01 -0400, Linda Benschop wrote:
>     I am wondering how many folks on the list here enjoy hiking with their
>spouse/significant other.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to contribute to this one, but reading all the 
replies got the gears turning a bit. It's one of those real YMMV 
question/answer situations.

And to be honest, I don't know what the answer is, so I'll spew out some 
attempted factoids.

If you meet someone who's reasonably compatible to your hiking interests 
when you're younger, there can be a tendency to get into a 
joined-at-the-hip situation.  If there's hiking, then we both have to go 
hiking.  Ten or twenty years down the road, that kind of thinking -- 
presuming that you still have the same interests -- can be a factor in the 
breakup.  (I know...)

Marriage?  When you're "younger", there's often the family thing that 
factors in, as Paul M noted.  I didn't say that having kids is either good 
or bad -- depends on the couple.  It is bad if the breakup occurs after 
there are kids.  So what has this to do with hiking, etc?  Probably 
nothing.  It's a separate dimension in your personal life.  Have to decide 
the relative priorities for yourself, I guess.

I could ramble on about other marriage/relationship issues, but I won't.  I 
think there's a strength that develops from being a single person.  If I 
get back into doing a walk of significant duration, I'll probably plan on 
doing it alone, without having to apologize or argue with someone about 
priorities.  Important not to get too bright-eyed and idealistic in this 
area, thinks I...

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The Wizard!  A gleam in his eye, a bounce in his step!