62 Comments
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Scott Monaco's avatar

Not peeing on hydrants or mailboxes may be your greatest gift to Brent --second only to thirty years of adventures. This is partnership in action.

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Brent Hartinger's avatar

You're setting the bar even lower than I do...

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Michael Jensen's avatar

LOL LOL. Hopefully, I've got a few other good qualities too!

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Rich Feldman's avatar

Brilliant. In my relationship, when it comes to travel, I'm a shark and my wife's an elephant. Like a shark, I always want to keep moving and going to a place I've never been before. My wife has a strong memory for places and yearns to go back to them. Works out in the end.

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Brent Hartinger's avatar

Oh that's good

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Michael Jensen's avatar

Oooh, that'll be our next article! LOL LOL

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Susan Herzog's avatar

You two sound like a great match in life and love. Cheers to you both!

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Michael Jensen's avatar

Thanks, Susan!

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Brooke Craig's avatar

I love this! Your description is now making me wonder what sort of wacky hybrid animal I am…a dot? A cog? 😂

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Michael Jensen's avatar

Honestly, I think we're a little big dots and cogs, depending on the day!

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JJ's avatar

Beautiful piece and a lovely way to start my day! From both of your writings I had already realized you and my spouse Chris are more alike and Brent and I are more alike and this piece 100% confirms it. You’ve given me a new perspective and way to frame our differences so perfectly. Thank you! 😊

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Michael Jensen's avatar

Thanks, JJ! Woof woof!

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Matt McMann's avatar

I loved this piece! I think you nailed it with the idea that relationships often work by both partners being mostly similar but having differences that balance each other. Well done!

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Brent Hartinger's avatar

That fine line between "Perfect Harmony" and "Annoyed as Shit."

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Matt McMann's avatar

Exactly! :)

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Michael Jensen's avatar

Woof woof!

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Gabrielle Kinney's avatar

I'm definitely the Brent cat and my husband is the Michael dog in our relationship. But it is so true that, like the two of you, it works because we share so many similarities. We both love traveling and discovering new places, we love food and good wine, we love hiking and getting outdoors, we love animals, we love good music. And I ground him and bring him back to earth to rest while he energizes me and gets me out into the world to really experience life. Dogs and cats, living together!

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Michael Jensen's avatar

In perfect harmony!

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Brent Hartinger's avatar

When it works, it works!

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Lisa McMann's avatar

This is great and it makes a lot of sense now that we are getting to know you two better. I'll be wary of the licking when we do meet up one day. You say you don't do it, but do I trust you 100%? Not quite.

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Michael Jensen's avatar

You just had to be the dog, didn't you. Damn it... :-)

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Lisa McMann's avatar

Matt says I'm a cat. He is also a cat. So we overthink and over-analyze everything and can't commit to anything, yaaaay!

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Michael Jensen's avatar

Including whether you are cats or dogs!

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Lisa McMann's avatar

So true! Maybe I *am* a dog...

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Benthall Slow Travel's avatar

I’m a cat — the aloof, watch-from-the-window kind.

Nigel’s definitely the dog — eager, curious, tail always wagging at the next adventure.

Your piece made me laugh because my last essay was about our differences too, just told through way too much behavioral science. Yours reminded me that sometimes a cat-dog analogy travels further than any theory.

Thank you for the writing lesson — and for proving that opposites don’t just attract, they wander well together!

https://open.substack.com/pub/thebenthalls/p/the-beauty-is-in-the-difference?r=5ci1ff&utm_medium=ios

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Brent Hartinger's avatar

good piece!

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Michael Jensen's avatar

I have to do the cat/dog because I'm not that smart. LOL LOL

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Benthall Slow Travel's avatar

Albert Einstein was right… "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough" 🤷‍♀️

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Michael Jensen's avatar

Thanks for reading!

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Terrie's avatar

I just love you guys. You're one of the best couples I know. Lol-and I don't really "know" you, do I?

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Michael Jensen's avatar

Aww, thanks, Terrie! WOOF WOOF!

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Elaine's avatar

I love this post. I'm more cat-like, and the Hubster is more dog-like, but we cross over a lot, too. Our base values are very similar despite growing up in different cultures (both US, but city/country, North/South, etc.). The differences make spice.

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Brent Hartinger's avatar

Cats are still better though...

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Michael Jensen's avatar

That is one...uninformed opinion!

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Michael Jensen's avatar

Thanks, Elaine!

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BorderCollieMomSandyY's avatar

Just got up so I’ll read closer later but in first peek at pics- you know I’m gonna have to go with the doggo

But Catster and doggo are cute and sweet together

Thank you

Sweet 🤗

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kristen (omventure.com)'s avatar

So beautiful. Perfectly said. So great to read this. My partner is definitely more the dog and I'm more the cat. Except when settling on the next location or discussing challenges. lol

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Brent Hartinger's avatar

I knew that's why I liked you.

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Michael Jensen's avatar

Thanks, Kristen!

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Edward Yu's avatar

A really tip top post! Thank you.

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Michael Jensen's avatar

Thank you, Edward!

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Claire Polders's avatar

Lovely piece, Michael! Loving the same shared life is an excellent base.

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Brent Hartinger's avatar

We're cats and dogs biking together all over the world.

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Michael Jensen's avatar

Thank you, Claire!

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Shonna's avatar

Oh I love this! It also describes me and my husband perfectly, ha! I am the cat.

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Brent Hartinger's avatar

(cats are still better hehe)

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Michael Jensen's avatar

Woof woof!

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