Commitment

You might wonder why we stayed together in the face of such conflict and infidelity. No simple answer comes to mind. We both were loners, outsiders in most situations, and extremely intelligent. Diane’s life experience set her apart from those who had never faced so much difficulty. My own life was marked not by struggle so much as an inability to relate to my childhood friends who couldn’t see things the way I saw them. At Berkeley I joined a community of students and faculty who were truly my peers, and I recognized the same quality in Diane. When we found each other on the mountain, as if directed by fate, we felt an affinity based on a deep recognition of the unique abilities in one another. The way we met, each one alone in the wilderness, emphasized that. I responded to her emotion and her passion, she to my stability and steadfast commitment. In spite of how we might wander or fail, we both felt an overwhelming desire to be together.

~ from Incorrigible the book