First Dates and Fifty Years

Who should pay on the first date—and what are two people trying to build together? As my wife and I approach twenty-five years of marriage, I consider shared finances, unpaid work, changing responsibilities, and the good fortune behind a fiftieth anniversary. John Boyd’s ideas about orientation and adaptation offer another way to think about a shared purpose when life changes. Read the essay and sources: https://joelkdouglas.com/2026/10/15/first-dates-and-fifty-years/