Luna Lover 28

I’m 23 and I’m running my first ever half marathon at the end of the month. It’s a big deal for me as I never thought I could run such a long distance, and I’m proud of the training I’ve achieved. I’ve been with my boyfriend 3 years, and he knows I’d love him to come watch and cheer me on. However, my race clashes with the final game of the premier league, and he’s agreed to watch the game in London with his friends (he planned this before he knew about my race). I finish running around 12:30 and he’s agreed to watch the whole thing. But it’s the part afterwards that means the most - I want to celebrate with the people I love and get a celebratory drink But he is insisting that he needs to ‘dash’ as soon as I cross the finish line because he needs to get across London to get a good space at the pub and have pre drinks. Bear in mind that the football doesn’t start until 4pm. My feelings are hurt, because I don’t want to cross that finish line of my first ever race, only to see him checking his watch to see how soon he can get away to go and drink with his mates. This race means so much to me, but he’s insisting he has to leave ASAP to ‘get to the pub on time’. He says he might not be let in if he’s too late but I don’t know how much I believe this. Anyway - am I right to be upset by this? He did book the pub before he was aware of my race, but surely he can sacrifice one hour of pres with his mates to go for a drink with his girlfriend who’s just run 13 miles? He’ll still be about to watch the whole game, even if he leaves at 2 … what do you guys think? Bottom line - Is it really bratty of me that I don’t really want him there at all if he’s just gonna be clock-watching to see how long he’s got before he can go and sit in the pub with his mates? It’s not like the football starts at 2pm, he’s got ages, but he still wants to get away ASAP …

My boyfriend and I are both 21. I have always been very curious, felt emotions very intensely, and loved stimulating conversations. He, on the other hand, gets bored by intellectual conversations (about history, philosophy etc) and doesn’t have any particularly strong opinions. He doesn’t even have a favourite song - he merely listens to the radio haha. I’m also a big reader, whereas the only books he’s ever read are the ones he had to read for school. He’s more into football, the gym, the pub, etc. However, he loves me so deeply. He looks after me in ways I could only dream of, he absolutely spoils me (as I do him!), and makes me so happy. We have fantastic day trips together and he indulges me in all my quirks and interests. We’ve been together for two years and I’ve never felt safer and more in love. I’ll add that he is also extremely helpful and reliable around the house:) Sometimes I do wonder, however, if our differences in intellect (for want of a better word .. he’s much smarter mathematically than I, however I’m far more curious about the world around me) make us incompatible. I always hear about couples having lots to talk about, and when I suggest a topic that isn’t football, anyone we know, or a situation directly affecting us, he’s not interested. I feel like I often just talk at him! However, I have friends and family whom I can have these discussion with. I’m not for want of someone to talk to, it just isn’t my partner, and I’m wondering if this is a non-negotiable for other couples? It does frustrate me sometimes when he offers absolutely no opinions on anything haha!

I’ve been dating him 2 years now

For context, I have never liked spaniels. It could be because all the spaniels I’ve met have been spoiled, hyper and wriggly, but I just don’t find them cute. My boyfriend and I are both in our mid twenties, and he’s still currently living with his parents Last year they got a dog, and it’s their first dog. The family are very ‘by-the-book’ and don’t use a lot of common sense. They consult google and professionals for every tiny issue. This dog is spoiled in the oddest way. They indulge in an actual wardrobe for him, along with weird gadgets and expensive items to keep him cool in the summer etc. They’ve even invested in a dog psychologist. However, they miss fundamental training. The dog is not trained at all: he climbs on furniture and jumps up (this genuinely annoys me so much) because they’re way too gentle with it. Also, he doesn’t get walked! On the rare occasion he gets walked, its not allowed off the lead ( they’re an unnecessarily cautious family. Also, no wonder he’s such a menace in the house!). My boyfriend fully condones this style of dog raising (it makes me feel a bit sick, quite frankly), and I can’t stand talking about his dog or visiting the family for that reason. My family have had a golden retriever for twelve years. It was raised in a very traditional way (two long walks a day; bottom of the hierarchy) etc. He is SO well behaved. I know for a fact that if we had raised their spaniel, it would also be a well behaved dog. In short, I don’t particularly respect my boyfriend and his family for the way they’ve trained their dog. It really makes me cringe; I just want to shout ‘the reason he’s sprinting laps around your lounge is because he’s not been walked in three days! He’s a springer spaniel, he needs to be walked!!!’. And yet there he is with his premium organic chicken breast for dinner. It’s the contrast against my family that makes me cringe. I’m very proud of my family and the way they approach life, raising animals etc. Our dog has always been treated like a dog. We greet each other first, and the dog last. A happy dog is a tired dog, and he gets walked two hours a day. Im worried this is a red flag for our relationship. How is he going to approach raising kids? Is this a sign that we’re not compatible? He fully endorses the way they’ve raised this stupid dog, and heavily defends it when I question it …