Mil Millington - Things my girlfriend and I have argued about (online version)

What does Margret have to say about the page?

Mostly she doesn't bother about it - it's an Internet thing (Margret on the Internet: "It's rubbish."). She does read it every so often, though, and thinks it's funny. Margret, you see, unlike some people, is smart, understands English - subtexts and all - and has a sense of humour. We've only ever had two arguments about the page and they were minor. By which, naturally, I mean that they were screaming, howling rows lasting about three hours each, but they were minor by our standards (they were also about things so tiny and incidental that no one else would have even noticed them, let alone managed to fan them into a row). The last time she read the page her only comment was "You're such a liar." Which she later modified to "Oh. Right. I'd forgotten about that." It is true, however, that lately, after she's done something Margret-like - trying to reverse the car over me or whatever - she has taken to saying, "I suppose you're going to put that up on your page now, aren't you?" To which my reply, naturally, is, "Darling - it's not my page, it's our page."

This is a microcosm of all relationships, isn't it?

Nope, it's just about Margret and me. Some of you men might think you're in the similar situations, but, well, OK, go back to the earlier days your relationships. Did you ever have an argument with your girlfriend that resulted in her throwing you out of her flat and locking the door? Leaving you in a rather tricky situation regarding how to get home? There you go, then. We're similar there. Now, was it winter? Were you naked apart from a cotton t-shirt? And were you standing somewhere along the Swiss-German border? I do believe, however, that arguments - about stupid things - are not simply normal in long-term relationship, but actually a sign of intimacy. People only have these idiot rows with people they are genuinely close to: partners, siblings, parents. It takes time and real love to discover where someone's buttons are: but then you can happily push them until one or the other of you is institutionalised.

But also, it has to be said, regarding generalities - this:

Many years ago I was sitting watching a music show with my girlfriend of the time. Culture Club came on - it was their first TV performance, I think. After about fifteen seconds, Former Girlfriend punched my arm, hard.

Me: 'Ow - what was that for?'

Former Girlfriend: 'Because you fancy her.'

Me: 'Her? Who?'

Former Girlfriend: [pointing] ' Her .'

Me: 'That's a him . It's Boy George.'

Former Girlfriend: 'Oh. Right... Well, you'd fancy him if her were a woman - he's just your type.' [She punches my arm again, hard.]

I simply attract this kind of girlfriend.

Who's the most insufferable, you or Margret?

Me. Obviously. Jeez - have you read the whole page and learnt nothing ?

Are you happy?

Yes, thanks. Hugely happy. Both Margret and I are really quite sickeningly happy together and the kids are so well-adjusted it actually frightens me.

The fact of all this, our being happy, appears to really, really piss some people off.

Why did you stop updating the page?

It just felt like the right time to say, 'OK - enough.' I've only ever done it for my own, idle amusement but if you count up the whole of it - that's to say, not only what's on the page now, but also the stuff that's been removed to keep the size down (but is still available to the Mailing Listers, natch) - then it's well over 50,000 words. That's longer than some books. Not my books, no, but some books nonetheless. It's sufficient to sate my idle amusement anyway. What's more, I enjoy writing the Mailing List Mails, because the Mailing List filters out most of the dolts. It's fun writing for people who have the intelligence to get it, but it can be rather wearying when you know that what you're doing is completely lost on the idiot minds of most of the readers. Look at this email that came in a few days ago:

From: "Lyndon" lkoetter@tbaytel.net

X-FID: FLAVOR00-NONE-0000-0000-000000000000

X-FVER: 3.0 X-CNT:

Subject: Web Page

One thing you definitely do not have is balls. What kind of man would put up with a bitch like that. What dumb ass would have children with her so he would be trapped. Are you that homely that this is all you could get. Do yourself a favour, Jerk off, sex is not worth living like that. And if you are worried about support, get her committed. I don't think that would be difficult.

Yours truly a real man.

Not because it's in any way special, it's not - it's simply the most recent email I have to hand as I type this. The writer - obviously - is not on the Mailing List. Are you saying that I should not concentrate on the wise and luscious Mailing Listers, but instead continue to update the page so that laughable dimwits like this have something against which to bluster in the hope of quelling their own homosexual angst? Pfff. I think not. So, we have a situation where I believe it's time to stop updating TMGAIHAA, twinned with anyone I'd remotely want anything to do with being on the Mailing List in any case - so they'll still get the odd TMGAIHAA-related thing, amid the general rambling. It's simply a plug whose time to be pulled has come.

Are you and Margret married?

No. The clue there would be in the 'girlfriend' bit. We've been together for, at time of writing, about fifteen years, however, and fully expect to be together until death. Longer if Margret dies first as she's made it known she intends to haunt me - appearing suddenly in front of my car while I'm out driving at high speed on wet roads, that kind of thing.

Why don't you and Margret get married?

What is it with you Americans and marriage? You seem to have some kind of confusion that makes a ritual inseparable from the thing it announces. I'm sorry to be the one to break this to you, but if you don't have a funeral, you're still dead, OK? No, we're never going to get married. And we've spent the money it would have cost us on a loft conversion.

Why don't you just kick the bitch out (that's what I'd have done, on day one)?

Wow! You're really impressive - and so masculine. I wish I were more like you. You're great. And not just an heroic figure to all men either, but a huge success with the ladies too, I have absolutely no doubt about that. You've slept with lots of women haven't you? Just loads. Yes you have. Thanks for your input; we all thought you were dead manly and irresistible to anyone with a uterus already, but your words just confirm it. Cheers.

As you clearly hate each other, why don't you just split up?

So, you're a teenage girl then, are you? Bless. Not really the deepest of readers? Well, no, because reading is so much effort on its own that thinking too would be sheer torture, wouldn't it? Never mind, don't bother yourself with anything beyond the simple noise that the letters make when you add them up. Really, I mean it. You enjoy the carefree years you have because, you know what? You're going to end up marrying Impressive Man, above. Oh yes you are.

Hello, I'm American. What I'd like to do now is dribble out some pop psychology I saw an airport paperback writer talking about on Oprah once and which I've slavishly used as the basis of my whole life since because I really can't go to the effort of thinking anything through for myself. Clearly, I don't have the reading skills or the intellectual depth to claw my way above the crashingly literal, so I'll use this embarrassing lack of subtlety as a misplaced springboard from which to launch into a critique of your relationship. I'll probably say something like, 'For the sake of the children', I simply won't be able to stop myself. Depending upon how I feel, I might even state that, 'I have a good sense of humour' too, a fact which, tragically, I, myself, genuinely believe to be true. Can I have a 'I Don't Get It' badge please?