Story from Salt Magazine by Penny Shipway
When it comes to living a long and fruitful
life there were certainly no fad diets, exercise regimes or intensive spiritual
retreats for Arthur and Betty Bluett, who celebrate 66 years of marriage this
year.
When it comes to living a long and fruitful
life there were certainly no fad diets, exercise regimes or intensive spiritual
retreats for Arthur and Betty Bluett, who celebrate 66 years of marriage this
year.
Instead they travelled
the world, played golf, ate ice cream every night and dinner was never without a
stiff drink.
Their secret to a happy
marriage? “Not having a family straight away,” Betty says from their five-star
retirement village, Arcare at Peregian Springs.
Bucking the trend of
their married friends, Arthur and Betty chose to spend the first 12 years of
marriage “getting to know each other better” and taking holidays wherever
possible throughout Europe, Canada, USA and Hawaii.
Betty says she wasn’t too
fussed on the local teenage boys hanging around at the time, and it was enough
to put her off having kids.
“The young blokes were
called ‘teddy boys’ and we didn’t want a teddy boy so we said ‘no thank you’,”
Betty laughs. “This one said we needed a lot of practice!”
But the truth is, Arthur
and Betty just love each other’s company.
“Many people don’t
believe it when I say it, but we truly didn’t argue. We’ve had no time apart and
never had holidays separately. The only time we have been apart was when Arthur
was in hospital,” Betty says.
“I didn’t talk much and
that suited her,” Arthur adds in jest. “I don’t tell her I love her every day,
but it’s there. She puts up with me.”
Photo by Anastasia Kariofyllidis
No comments:
Post a Comment