The Difference Between Men and Women

It's Christmas morning, Darin is opening up the present I got him. He rips the paper off the box, opens the box and pulls out the argyle sweater that he already knew he was getting (we found it while shopping together...) and then pulls out the matching tie that I worked so hard to find for him to wear with the sweater.

He pulls it out and surely made a happy, "i-like-it" type of noise or comment or something of that nature, my memory is foggy of the exact moment. Probably because right when he pulled it out, my insecure self said: "It's probably to much of the same color huh? and won't really look good together."

That was what I SAID, while the words going through my MIND were more like this: "I think they look great together and I worked really hard to find that tie and I really really really hope you like it."

Of course Darin told me: "I really like the tie and I think it'll look great with the sweater."  
I HEARD: "I love the tie you worked so hard to find for me and I can't wait to wear it with this sweater."

But what I didn't know at that time is what Darin had HEARD while I was speaking (the first purple line), Darin heard something like this: "The tie is not meant to be worn WITH the sweater b/c there is to much of the same color. Wear them separately." 


At this point, you might not be surprised that come the following Sunday morning (New Years), there was some slight confusion (on Darin's part) and frustration (on my part) when Darin walked out in the off-white, grey and black argyle sweater that I got him, with a dark blue and black tie on. What?! "Where is the tie I got you? I knew you didn't like it!" I puffed. And that is when the truth came out...

"I thought you said I shouldn't wear them together because there was too much of the same color???"  (Poor soul. I wish I could enjoy his cute, "I'm SO confused face" more, but his confusion usually comes with my frustration so it's hard to enjoy in the moment).

Of course we talked it out and realized that we both HEARD different things and I was once more reminded that my husband cannot read minds (although he is getting much better) and I need to be more transparent.  Why I felt the need to tell him there was to much color is beyond me. I suppose I was trying to give him an easy escape to agree with just in case he really didn't like it. I'm a girl. Sometimes girls tend to do/say things that WE don't even understand. Men always get the blame for everything, and although I might take this back or deny having written it at some later point in my life, for right now, I feel for the men. They put up with a lot from us insane, think-to-much, worry-about-everything, analyze everything, emotional, read-my-mind women and deserve some credit. Men, I GIVE YOU CREDIT. We know how hard you try and we don't always make it easy on you.

Just be good like Darin and when you do something wrong (even if you don't know you did something wrong) make up for it. And big. You know, like massages, flowers, doing the dishes, cooking dinner, etc., etc., etc., etc.  Darin made it up to me easily by wearing the dear sweet contention-starting tie a few times to show his love for it (and me).

 

 

Moral of this story: Learn how to read minds.