I remember that once, during the early years of our marriage, we decided to go out with a couple of friends and our respective wives. What seemed like it was going to be an ordinary Saturday night of music, pool, and a few beers turned into a two-hour drive to the beach.

At first, it sounded like a great idea, but it ended up becoming a very uncomfortable night of fatigue, sleepiness, and back pain while we waited for sunrise. No one enjoyed that night. Each couple did their best to get some sleep in their own car. Too drunk to drive back to the city.

It was the same six university friends, the same plan that had worked on other occasions, yet this time it didn’t. The difference was that we were all happily married by then.

That was thirty years ago. We were never that spontaneous again. I think that was the moment we realized that the recklessness of youth had come to an end and that it was time for us to start thinking in a more serious and responsible way.