Originally Posted by RClawson

This thread is like a hard slap in the face for me. These are the issues I do not want to admit to but are true.

Not to many years ago I was a successful executive in the corporate world climbing the ladder making great coin. I was a self made man who left college because I had been asked to by my employer. I was definitely upwardly mobile. In my early 40's I was ready to leave corporate behind and start my own business. The timing was perfect the kids were grown my wife had graduated and started a career that would replace a good chunk of my income.

Over time my business failed due mostly to the economy. My wife has become a great success in her field and I have nothing but admiration for what she has accomplished. In the meantime I fear I have become a complete p***y.

I really love this woman but I am 99.9% sure that she has little respect for me. Whenever I assert myself, which is rare these days, she basically tells me I am an idiot and I need to calm down or that I need to quit yelling at her (yelling is not a volume thing to her it is a tone that I evidently have no control over). The kids pay little attention to what I have to say and I think they figured this whole thing out before I did.

She spends a great deal of time at work (it is a demanding job) and she also spends a great deal more time with those that report to her (no men) socializing than she does with me. When she is home she reads or watches TV (she needs to wind down) but she "always has time for me" that is if I want to get a dirty look from her.

I do get the honor of taking her out on Friday nights so she can tell me about her week. If she is to tired I get to take her out Saturday night.

In the past two years sex has gone from 2 times a week to 2 times a month or every 5 weeks. I will admit it is very good because I know what the hell I am doing and I know what buttons to push. Sometimes I just quit when I know or she tells me she is exhausted and sometimes she just is done and seems to care less if I am satisfied.

I have pretty much made up my mind that if my work situation does not change (we live in a small community) that I am going to go where I can find a decent job and some self respect. I have mentioned this to her and she said she does not know how we will do it but it seems like her biggest concern is who will deal with the kids (young adults living at home) and with the day to day stuff. At this point I am numb and know that if I do not do something soon I will likely be locked in this routine forever and that scares me more than anything else.