Relationship advice please?

i have been dating my highschool sweetheart for 10 yrs. we were 15 when we met and now living together for 3 years. we have had our ups and downs. but no doubt that i love him.





i am very laid back. i dont control him or tell him what to do. we have our problems. but we do not really fight much. no problems with money. no problems in the bedroom. he spends his money wisely and gets whatever he wants pretty much. no problems i can think of.





here is where im needing advice. i never forced the issue of getting married. we met young, so i played it off that we needed t grow up. then we started to live together. my excuse then was, we should live together a while and then consider marrage. i wanted him to ask me on his own time. 2 years passed and then gradually i started to bring it up. here is the kicker. he agreed 2 years ago that i could stop birthcontrol and we could have a baby. but when the talk about getting married came up, he will talk about a wedding and the things he would want and not want. but it would never go further then that.





a year ago i told him by our 10 year anniversary of dating, i want to see my engagement ring. i think after 10 years i deserve this. i kept telling him this and making jokes about this. well, october 19 came and went. no ring. when i talk to him about this, the subject always changes. he will watch tv or have something he has to do. i was very very upset and he doesn't understand why. he wont even give me a reason. we both lost our good jobs last year and now were both going to school and working lower paying jobs. but he keeps making comments when the bank account gets low that if he ever needs money, he has plenty of things he could sell. when we were not working, he got a 4,000 toy car. so its not a money issue?





how can i get him to understand my point of view on this? i don't want to force him to marry me or be demanding. but after 10 years, i think its time we make some decisions and grow up. or even show me the ring as a promise that things are moving forward. i have never asked him for anything expensive. im not that girl who gets expensive gifts or asks for money. so i don't see what the big deal is.Relationship advice please?
i think it very well may be that hes not happy w his career and it is about moneyRelationship advice please?
Don't beat around the bush. If you think guys don't get it then don't play games, be honest and direct. Tell him basically exactally what you've told us. It's been 10 years, you've always included marriage when thinking of your future with him -- it's where you want it to go. It's an uncomfortable subject for him so he may have some selective hearing -- this is why you can consider being very direct and honest.





Let him know it's an important issue to you. You want to get married, you want to have a family, you want it to be with him.





Asking for a ring on the 10th anniversary is kind of like hinting, and it's not opening the topic for conversation. Ask him how he feels about marriage, try to get him talking about how he feels on the subject. Let him know this is a serious topic for you.





This makes sure it's not a communication problem. If you understand each other and after a week or so he still avoids the subject then it's very likely he doesn't want to get married. Instead of hinting/naming a date you can together set up a plan, it could be an amount of time or after certain finances, but don't let it be a hazy always the next day, week, etc thing.





I hate guys like this who wait so long -- I'm a guy btw. -- I guess I can't identify with what's going on with them. Hope that helps...
the best you can do is just sit him down and tell him whats on your mind