Would you have been ready for your husband/partner years before you met them?

I know odd question. My husband and I were talking the other day and we were both wishing we had met years earlier to save us from so much heartache. We never would have dated so many horrible people, I never would have married and divorced my ex husband, and stuff like that.

Then I realized something... We wasn't ready for each other yet!

Before we met he got drunk almost every night, partied all the time, was very irresponsible, very immature, rude, and acted like a collage frat boy. He went through a lot of hard times that made him grow up. 2 years before we met he got arrested and went to jail for a DUI. He also almost lost his house. Those experiences woke him up and made him grow up into the man I married.

As for me, I was once so stubborn and short tempered it was ridiculous. Everything that happened in my past relationships I never saw how I was responsible for it also. I could never admit I was wrong and was always ready to defend myself. I trusted no one and always went for the flawed man I thought I could fix. I was a big ball of anger and just wasn't happy.

Then I went to therapy and marriage counseling with my ex husband and it changed my whole way of thinking an approaching situations. My divorce tough me to not just see the good in someone but also the bad and I can't fix everyone.

So what I'm trying to get at is you have to go through bad to realize what the good is. We would have hated each other before we were ready for each other. We really balance each other out also. I'm more serious and he is more carefree.

So would you have been ready for your SO before you met them?