Speaking of different perspectives...

Shep and I are not exactly what you would call peas in a pod. He likes smooth jazz; I prefer rock 'n roll. He craves Chicken Bryan (any Carabba's fans in the house?), while I go for KFC. Even as we start this blog together, there has been a lot of give and take on the choice of design and content; so if you keep up with our page you may continue to see slight changes as our personalities go head-to-head :)
It's funny how differences of opinion that don't matter so much when two people are "just friends" (more about that later) suddenly become very important when those two people start dating. For example... Shep and I met in college, and as friends we often met for meals in the buffet-style cafeteria. Since very few nice *date level* restaurants offer a combination of fried vegetables and hummus, we've had to compromise a few times on what we would be willing to eat.
You have to learn a whole new side of a person's character when you enter a relationship, which can be adventurous at best, and hazardous to your health at worst. No, I'm not talking about meeting your sweetie's family - I'm talking about showing and receiving affection. You have some things that are appreciated pretty much across the board, such as hand holding, hugging, etc. There are those things, however, that seem like good ideas, but might not go over so well in practice depending on the recipient's tastes. Like back rubs. Shep very sweetly volunteered to give me a back rub one day, but after getting a few of my spinal discs rearranged, I asked that his love be expressed a little less "kneadily." And he has hinted that my love should be expressed without the use of such bad puns as the one in the previous sentence. Sorry Shep ;)
When it comes down to it, I really enjoy our differences. Sure, they cause disagreement and misunderstanding sometimes, but more often one of us ends up learning a new way to look at things. Because of Shep's unique bunch of quirks, pastimes, and preferences, I have gotten to experience all sorts of new activities (and some old ones in new ways) that I may never have been able to otherwise. In growing our relationship, I have grown as an individual. For those of you who may be butting heads with a loved one, no matter what kind of relationship you're in, try to take it as a learning opportunity. Be thankful for the chance to get to know that person better.
And find a good chiropractor just in case :)