I heard about Robin Thicke and Paula Patton. Life is filled with unsightly challenges and blurred lines.

There are so many temptations. People succumb. I understand that the actress and the rock star have been together since puberty. Personally, I cannot possibly conceive of the idea of being with someone from my teenage years. I am not sure that I even have any friends left from my middle or high school days.

In my youth, I loved hangin’ with my father’s extended family. He was one of nine kids, 5 brothers and 3 sisters. Male species dominated the family line up. I had a enough cousins to comprise an entire football team and for a sports fanatic, it was heaven. We talked sports, played organized games.

I was very close with my cousins growing up, but we have all gone our separate ways and barely communicate. That is probably why I don’t buy into the adage that blood is thicker than water. People grow apart, change. Often as children we are thrown together out of obligation. I never entertained these thoughts when I was in the moment. Distance plays a part. Adult rules and games are different.

Families can be screwed up. Despite all the history, relatives hold grudges, pick sides and never forget. Friends do the same thing, but somehow friends can pick up where they left off. Maybe it is because you pick your friends and not your relatives.

Frankly, there are not that many enduring relationships. It just seems as if people have short attention spans. It is just so easy to say, ba bye.

Marriages can run out of steam at some point. Partners may want to quit, chase another person because they can keep pace with you better than your mate. Life is not a sprint and training is not always productive and satisfying.

Spending a huge amount of time on the road with rock stars, pro athletes and celebrities, you see how fragile marriage or relationships can be. Temptation is always there, grass is greener, but life on the road is a subculture and once you get back to reality and settle down with the person who loves you for you and not the fame, tight leather pants, big dick and even bigger bank account, you see what really matters.

Relationships are analogous to marathons. You need a partner to keep pace with you, positive support from family and friends on the sidelines, cheering you on. Life it really about how you run the race…not just crossing the finish line, but the journey.