I have a very old friend I went to primary school with and we have kept in touch, on and off, all our lives. He is lovely in lots of ways but has an incredibly stubborn streak.
One thing I am starting to notice (he has two kids, and is married to someone who is great - one is 6 and one is nearly 9) is that he has to call the shots, and cannot possibly compromise in any way.
Eg His wife got given theatre tickets for a well known children's show in the West End but my friend, a former theatre director, refused for them to go because the wife of someone he used to work with (and fell out with) was in it. So, nobody went. There has also been various things that he has said they are not doing (the 'glamping' weekend, that was very child focussed that he said they weren't going to because some people he wasn't keen on, 4 out of a group of 40, were going, lots of other examples but hopefully you get the idea.)
I have been offered (it's connected to my job, I don't want to be too identifying) the potential of a stay in a Disney Resort hotel (one of the apartments so there's room for us all) and tickets for nothing (we would have to buy flights) and can go any time between now and 2017 (it's a PR trip, Im a writer.) We have been discussing how nice it would be to go away somewhere recently (admittedly when pissed) so I called and asked him if they fancied it and he said no. Not because of the money (he and his wife are very comfortable) or time off work or anything else, but because 'I don't like Disney.' So, they are all missing out. Again. I could have texted his wife and him at the same time to ask them, and now wish that I had, but this hasn't worked before - it seems as if he just cannot possibly entertain the idea of doing something that is not his cup of tea, regardless of anyone else and what they might like. (This also meant that he is refusing to come to Florida and join us for other things after (we could go for a fortnight, for example, and just spend a few days at Disney - it's free after all!) and I get the impression his wife won't go without him as she will want to have a family holiday with the four of them.)
He's starting to really wind me up with this and it is influencing my opinion of him. I know it's not really my concern but I can't help but find his behaviour incredibly selfish. (He never used to be like this, and in all other ways he is my same old friend.)
I have no idea what his wife thinks as I don't want to get into a rant about it, which is why I am venting on here instead...