Someone wanting you is too much to turn down

Stuart 54. From Slough. Married. Three grown up boys. Lighting Technician. 

How are you? 

The older I’ve got I feel I have less purpose. When the boys were dependent (now left home) it felt quite rewarding. There’s a lack of reward in my life at the moment. Work doesn't do it for me anymore. 

I think more about things that I never used to. I worry about getting older. I need to keep busy. I’ve started to think about how long I’ve got left but I don’t wake up thinking  - Christ, I made it to another day! 

I’ve been doing my job for 20 odd years. I sometimes wonder how I've got employment because I've always had a bit of a willy nilly attitude to it. I wish I’d taken it a bit more seriously. The work got done but with a bit of fun. I take work more seriously now. I try to be on top of everything. I try not to live with regrets. I finish one job then someone rings and I go straight onto the next one - that’s rewarding. Someone wanting you is too much to turn down. There’s a need to be needed. There’s a vague reward in making tea for the wife! (Laughing) Why do I need that? 

What do you think about marriage? 

I always liked the idea of being love. Having a partner to share things. It’s easy to take people for granted. Sometimes I want to chuck her out of the window but she’d only bounce and come back in. (laughing) Marriage is grounding. There’s a bond. I like that idea of a unit and together, we can get around anything. 

Sometimes I want to kill her  but there’s a strength in marriage. I'm very proud of her. I want my boys to see marriage as bonding. I think marriage is good. Since the boys left home my relationship with my wife has changed for the better. It feels like a new chapter in our lives which is exciting in one way and in another - is this it going forward, just me, her, the cat and the dog? Our relationship is having to move on in a more grown up way. We’ve played Mummy and Daddy - what’s next? 

What do you think about faith?

Do you have faith? I think I do. I remember when Mum wasn't well. There were three or four months of no phone calls about work. Literally the day after she passed I got a call about work.That was freaky. I quite like the idea that someone's looking down, keeping me free for that time so I could be with her. 

What do you think about doing this? 

It was fun. This kind of conversation, one on one, we should all be doing it every week. A complete offload.

MEN TALK - OUT SOON!