To think it's okay to mention an ex in a story?

[MrsKoala]

DH and i just got back for a nice dinner with a couple we know. We live abroad atm but are moving home tomorrow - so a bit of a farewell. The couple were asking about places we'd been etc, and we were all exchanging funny stories about travelling. 2 of my anecdotes involved exes (both stories = different exes - so not going on about the same one ifyswim). The stories were not about the exes, just they played a part (ie - 'ex had taken the key for the night and i had no way home' etc). Then the male of the couple said angrily to me 'you talk about your exes a lot you know!' Everyone stopped for a moment and then i just laughed. But i felt really uncomfortable and he was obviously quite cross with me. Dh doesn't give a shit and often says 'tell x story' which involves an ex. I have only been with DH for 4 years so have lots of stories which happened before him. DH doesn't give a crap btw. I just felt really 'told off' if that makes sense and i have had faces before when i mention an ex in front of dh (dh is my second H too and we think it's weird to pretend otherwise).

Do you mention stories with your exes in? or aibu?

Eww! I would either take the piss viciously or not socialise with him again.

Dh is always talking about his trip around Australia to others that have spent time out there, he went with his long-term ex. I don't see the problem to be honest. So yanbu!

Yanbu your life doesn't begin and end with your current partner.

I think its him who has the problem. I've always thought Freud's idea about projection has quite a bit of truth in it (that what makes you uncomfortable/angry is because it is something you have an issue with/are ashamed of).

Blimey, he was very rude, as if you ruin the atmosphere like that, silly man.

YANBU and I get this sometimes too!

I'm friends with my ex on fb. We were together for 4 years (ish) in early twenties and we didn't split on bad terms.... It just ended. He moved to Australia and I moved to London.

I'm now happily married and pregnant but sometimes I see my ex on Facebook and might say to DH "oh he's got a new job in oz! That's good!" Or "oh just found out his sisters pregnant, that's great!" (I was very close to my ex's family and he was a big part of my life... Knew him since I was very young as well.

Anyway I mentioned him around my DH, my sister and her husband the other week and BIL said "god this is sooooo awkward! Why are you talking about him?????!!!! Your poor DH!"

The only thing that was awkward was my BIL saying that! DH is also friends with my ex on fb and doesn't have an issue with him being mentioned in conversation... Which I might add is once in a blue moon.

What's wrong with mentioning someone that used to be a part of your life? ESPECIALLY if you still get on as friends???

Fucks me off that some people are so weird about ex's. I get that there are some ex's you'd rather forget but if you're ok with an ex, why just delete them from your life and your memory like they never existed??!!!

Rant over.

He has a problem, how strange to not be aloud to mention a funny story from your past,

I feel sorry for his wife/partner she is in for rough ride.

I went to one of my Exs weddings with DH and my kids (actually that Ex went to his stag night and was an Usher at our wedding). The only awkward thing at his wedding was realising how much I prefer ex's family to DH's. DH's aren't a total nightmare, but I can just chat to Ex's sisters as if they were my own cousins and his Mum is so sweet.

But DH and I knew each other at Uni, but never went out, so we know to varying degrees a lot of each other's exs.

Would this man part of the couple have had a problem if your story had involved a friend instead of an ex? i doubt it, it is a word from your past an ex close friend and it is the mans problem not your problem - he was rude as he feels uncomfortable with this scenario for some strange reason.

I love hearing stories from peoples past they are often interesting and funny, we all have experiences and that is what makes us who we are today

Being hung up about XPs is the sign of a deeply inadequate person. As are all manifestations of jealousy.

Feeling really sorry for LadyoftheCouple. Gall bladder problem=not fun, prat of a husband=even more not fun. What an arse. Since your DH is happy, I wouldn't care what DickheadoftheCouple thinks.