Let me ask you something: If you were married on – oh! let’s say, April 1, 2000 (you noticed the irony too? 🙂 ) and somebody asked you “How long have you been married?”, would you say “sixteen years” or “sixteen years, seven months and eighteen days?”.

Yesterday, I posted a picture of my wife and myself sitting by the fire with the dog – who had his second birthday. I showed that picture to Sharmila – that would be my wife, if you were unsure – and suggested a cheesy caption.

Such captions would have been considered utterly romantic during our first few years of marriage. After twenty three years of marriage? Not so much. I got the thoroughly deserved laughter of scorn. And I duly reported that back to my blog/FB readers.

Since no good deed goes unpunished, I woke up this morning to a veritable deluge of Happy Anniversary wishes. Now that I have had a moment to catch a break from all those sincere “Thank you” notes, I am asking myself – and you – Where did I go wrong?

Should I have mentioned “after twenty three years three months and four days of marriage….”? (PLEASE STOP: that is not the exact count!! ). Would not that have meant that on twenty three years, three months and third day, she would have found that still to be romantic? But now that I am one day over, it is all scorn and derision?

Or do you think they thought there must be a very strong connection between our wedding date and our dog’s birthday (clearly separated by twenty one years)? You think they thought ours was a case of puppy love? 🙂

Let me also tell you what twenty three years, three months, yada yada has taught me – all those women who wished me happy anniversary – somehow they are going to comment on this post and prove that it was all my fault. Been there. Seen that.

Ah! well, at least, now I know that my wife is not the only one who gets our anniversary date wrong!!!

🙂