I made it over 20 years with my first wife; her name was Plaintiff.

'Lishous and I are going on five years and I seem to have gotten it right this time. I love it when I hear old married couples answer the question "What is the secret to your long marriage?"

I used to interview people in a live show and it was always a great question. Sometimes you get answers that you didn't want, but there is always a lot of humor there.

I once asked a couple that had been married for 45 years, had raised a brood of 11 children and were blessed with 22 grandchildren, just that question. Before he could answer the wife leaned into the mike and spit out.... "Many years ago we made a promise to each other: the first one to pack up and leave has to take all the kids." Now, that would work if you think about it.

Another time while doing a show in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., I asked, "who in the audience has been married longest ?" A silver-haired man and his beautiful wife shouted out, "65 years!" I had to go and get that sage advice. When I asked him how they had stayed together so long he said, "Well Bubba, it's simple really, I don't try to run her life ... and I don't try to run mine!" I must say that was the best answer I ever heard and still is.

I think that staying together and growing old together has it's benefits. Money and life savings is one! It's hard to start over financially at any age, must less after 20 years or so. I was lucky; my fortune came late in life and Plaintiff didn't get "half." In fact, I just gave her about 90 percent and walked away just to escape from certain insanity!

Another is the fact that growing old together is much more easy with someone that knows your every fault and loves you anyway. But after having many friends that "have fought it out to the bitter end," I really feel that a long and happy marriage is all about "forgiving and forgetting." Those people that fight through the tough times, the ones that learn the joy of forgiveness, and the people that just won't give up, are some of my favorite people for they truly understand what happiness is. I'm talking about forgiving things that are unforgivable, saying the unsayable and doing the un-doable. Learning to love each other a little more every day is the secret, I'm certain of it.

Remember, you can't love someone you can't forgive. Just trust Old Bubba on this one.

I am never going to see that "golden" anniversary, probably not even the "silver" anniversary, but I am going to live with this woman I'm married to until I assume room temperature. I just can't ever do this again, I'm too old and have learned to love life too much. I can only hope that she feels the same way. I think she does; she smiled when she read this article.

Contact Bubba through email at t b u b b a @ t b u b b a . c o m