Overheard at Booth 4: Old Couple Over There

Samantha:  See that old couple over there?  Just coming in?

Rafael:  Yeah?

Samantha: They are soo sweet.  Look at that, the way they hold hands.   We should be like that.

Rafael:  Yeah, we should be like that.   You know I see couples like that and I wonder if people our age will ever get there.

Samantha:  Get there?  What do you mean, get there?

Rafael:  Get to that hand-holding stage.   We all want to get there, but we've got no clue what they had to do to get there, them holding each other's hand is for all the times they survived the down times, the screaming fights, the miserable silences, all the times his drinking got so bad he couldn't hold a job, the times she had affairs with co-workers or when her pill-popping got so bad she had to be hospitalized.   They survived the times when they fought about whether or not to bail their kid out of jail, or all the parties where he embarrassed her so bad she wound up in the bathroom crying all night long, all the times they wondered how they were going to pay their mortgage.   We don't have a clue what goes into getting to that stage, all we know is we want it, but I don't think we have the stamina to get there.

Samantha:  What makes you say that?   Why don't you think we have what it takes?

Rafael:  Because you're thinking about breaking up with me just because I won't go vegan!!