Arse

I am changing.

There are things that I am interested in now that I never would've been interested in before. For example: football. Chris is an ardent Arsenal supporter; he was 'born and bred' as one; his father is a Gunner and his father was before him. I, on the other hand, was brought up in an environment where football did not play a dominant role in our lives: my step-dad has always enjoyed watching a game of football, but he is not what you would call an enthusiast; he certainly doesn't support a team. My little brother is, perhaps, a little strange in that he has never expressed an interest in the sport. Despite this, I enjoyed watching a game of football, but only if I had an invested interest in the match: that is, if a team that I actually cared about was playing. This is why I would always be keen to watch England playing in the World or European championships. Other that these instances, though, I had no interest in football either.

But suddenly, I have found that I have started to care about Arsenal. Suddenly, I am interested in watching Arsenal play; I feel euphoric when they score and win; I am eager to see them come top of the league.

Why the interest? Because Arsenal is Chris' team: there are no emotional connections at all for me other than the fact that the team means a lot to the man I love. I'm sure if he supported Chelsea or Spurs, I'd be equally as supportive.

This probably makes me the worst sort of fan. However, both myself and Chris believe that spending time together is the most important element of a relationship; this means taking an interest in things that would not naturally interest you. I will listen to or play Classical music and Chris will ask questions that suggest he is keen to understand this concept that is so important in my life; Chris will play films and educate me on the sensitivity of chosen filters or angles that I wouldn't have noticed before.

Although we will always have separate interests (I don't think I'll ever convince Chris that musical theatre is worthwhile), taking an active interest in the interests of your partner will surely lead to a closer relationship and greater understanding of one another.

This is one of the reasons why I now enjoy watching an Arsenal game.