They’re Married, But Each Sleeps With Others. Do Polyamorous People Understand Love And Sex Better Than You Do? Could Be.
Kevin and Antoinette, a married couple, are out to dinner with their two little girls. Between inside jokes and bites of chicken fingers and pasta pomodoro, they talk about their day, about school, about movies. Like any typical family. But two other adults are with them at the table, a man and a woman. After settling the bill, Antoinette leaves with the man – her boyfriend, Gary. Kevin says goodbye to them and to the woman, his girlfriend, Maggie. (Their names have been changed.) Kevin will take the kids tonight while Antoinette sleeps at Gary’s. Tomorrow, Antoinette will be with the kids while Kevin stays with Maggie. People sometimes think they’re divorced with new partners, trying to make co-parenting work. Nope: “I do have a new partner,” Antoinette quips, “but I kept the old one too.”
Antoinette and Kevin recently celebrated 10 years of marriage. Their open relationship started when they stumbled into a threesome 15 years ago. Antoinette, a physical therapist, says she’s “the hinge of a V”; she has a relationship with her husband as well as with Gary, a long-term boyfriend. Kevin, a writer, calls himself a “relationship anarchist” with too many partners to count.
If that’s hard to wrap your head around, you’re not alone. For most of us, the traditions and limits of monogamy are deeply ingrained. There’s courtship, marriage, and children. Then you grow old together, faithfully. That’s relationship success, right? For those who aren’t monogamous, there’s no such road map. And that, they’ll tell you, is a good thing. With fewer rules, there’s more negotiation, more talking.
This story is from the July 2018 edition of Men's Health South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2018 edition of Men's Health South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
INSTANT PROGRESS THE 28-DAY PULLUP PLAN
JUST 10 MINUTES A DAY FOR A MONTH CAN PUSH YOU FROM PULLUP ZERO TO YOUR FIRST GREAT REPS.
THE MH INTERVIEW STARTER MUSCLE
THE FIRST STEPS ON A NEW FITNESS JOURNEY ARE OFTEN THE TOUGHEST. BUT WITH A FEW TWEAKS TO YOUR THINKING, PT AND PART-OWNER OF MOTLEY CREW CROSSFIT TYRON HATCH WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO STRIDE TOWARDS THE LOFTIEST GOALS.
15 SMART WAYS TO GET AHEAD IN LIFE (BY DOING LITTLE THINGS BETTER)
Self-improvement needn't be a slog. You can make gains-both marginal and meaningful-simply by approaching your day-to-day tasks with a little extra know-how. We raided the MH archives to compile these truly life-enhancing tips from our expert contributors. It's time to level up.
LOVE & LIKES
WHEN DOES SOCIAL-MEDIA FLIRTING BECOME CHEATING? LET’S TALK IT OUT.
FORCE OF NATURE
THE SAS SOLDIER TURNED TV SURVIVALIST HAS MADE OUTDOOR ADVENTURE HIS BUSINESS. BUT WHAT LESSONS DO HIS METHODS HOLD IN OUR INCREASINGLY URBANISED AND ONLINE WORLD?
COLOGNE BUT WITH
YOU BUY COLOGNE TO STAND OUT. SO WHY NOT REALLY STAND OUT? THESE BOLDER SPRITZES SMELL AWESOME AND LAST LONGER, WHICH MEANS YOU CAN USE LESS. OUR PICKS LEVEL UP IN INTENSITY AS YOU MOVE ALONG THE SPECTRUM.
THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO RUNNING LAPS AROUND THE ECONOMY
CATCHING UP WHEN INFLATION IS ALWAYS OUT TO SET A NEW PB CAN FEEL IMPOSSIBLE. PUT THESE 11 EXPERT-APPROVED LESSONS INTO ACTION TO DUCK AND WEAVE AROUND YOUR MONEY WOES
WHY 30-MINUTE WORKOUTS WILL WORK FOR YOU
LESS IS MORE WHEN IT COMES TO EXERCISING FOR FITNESS, STRENGTH AND HEALTH.
UNFREEZE YOUR MIND
ALL MY LIFE, I THOUGHT I WAS A COWARD. THEN I DISCOVERED THAT THE REAL NAME FOR WHAT I'D BEEN FEELING WAS ANXIETY- AND I WAS IN GOOD COMPANY.
DARK PLACES
For any surfer, taking on the monster waves at Nazaré in Portugal is a death-defying risk. For Matt Formston, there's another consideration: he's blind.