... in response to 2 year anniversary thoughts, posted by Jimbo on Jul 23, 2001"I've looked at life from both sides..." --Wait a sec! I meant to say something else :oO
Ok, now for something completely different, and boneheaded. With Sally's permission I can describe one of the dumbest things I've done since getting married. The key to understanding the story is: Sally doesn't like to drive on the highway. She's only done it twice in driving school and once with me, in daylight.
Sally wants to see a movie. I'm running late at work so we decide to meet at the cinema. She takes the back roads, I take the highway. After the show she follows me out of the lot. It's dark. I'm thinking "Why not take the highway? She needs the practice and she won't get it without a little push from me. It will be good for her. All she has to do is follow me."
The male mindset is fully entrenched and will not be denied. Up the ramp I go. The headlights behind me then pull out and pass me; the ones that I thought were Sally. The next car does the same, and the next. I pull into the breakdown lane and stare at the rearview mirror, and pray. After about 10 cars up she comes. She recognizes the truck and pulls in behind me. "That was a close one", I sigh with relief. I expect she'll be a bit upset when we get home.
She wasn't upset. She was furious. Her knees were shaking. She sobbed uncontrollably. She would not be consoled and I couldn't even put my arms around her to try. In between sobs she kept saying that I couldn't love her if I did something like that. It was a long night.
For the following few days she was very cool toward me. I consoled myself by playing Del Amitri:
"Tell her something in my mind, freezes up from time to time."
Well, we survived that one and I learned my lesson: listen very carefully when she says she's not ready for something. If she is beginning to get ready she'll give me a little signal. But I better be sure of that signal before I try to hurry her along.
"I really don't know life, at all..."
Jim
(thank you Judy Collins for reminding me)