When A Man Loves A Woman…For 41 Years

With how many women were you involved before you met Catherine?

“I barely dated in high school. Married the first girl I met in college, and dated a few more after the divorce. After I moved to New York I was too busy building a career from the basement up. Time for dating was limited, and lack of money made it that much more difficult.”

Did you ever think of separating or divorcing? If yes, when and why?

“On about year 18 of our marriage, both of us had booming careers and we frankly spent more time and effort there than with each other. I certainly was not paying nearly enough attention to her and her personal needs. I was traveling a lot and was ignoring my responsibilities at home. Thank god we were able, with the help of a team of therapists (hers, mine and ours) to wake up and smell the humus.”

Who is smarter, you or Catherine?

“I am significantly better educated and more well read. Catherine is significantly smarter. Period.”

What do you most love to do together?

“Anything we can do to spend time together is great. I have begun to love cooking with her. Organizing dinner parties is really wonderful. We both get to exercise our best qualities and make an incredible result together. And dealing with the ever-changing saga of our daughters’ lives is also great. Very complex and very satisfying.”

What do you least like to do together?

“There are times when one of us prefers doing. I hate the silence. Catherine has become addicted to Words with Friends.  She can play a dozen games simultaneously. I hate it.”

If you could change one thing about Catherine, what would it be?

“Not much. No one is perfect, not even Catherine. But I’m afraid that if anything changed it would be like the butterfly flapping his wings. Unintended results could be devastating. So, I will be delighted with the status quo as it’s a far better status quo than I ever imagined possible.”

What’s the most important thing that Catherine has taught you?

“Tempered humility. I was raised to believe (at some level) that I was the perfect (almost) Jewish prince. Smarter than the average bear, handsome, successful.  All BS, especially when compared to my wife, who is far smarter, better looking and successful than I.”

 Who makes the financial decisions?

“Generally I do but always in consultation. We’ve had one non-business checkbook for 41 years.”