Ragged Cover Home Page
Articles Home

Full Article List


Say, Whats On Your Mind, Partner?


Stan is an incurable romantic. Ever since he started courting Marge seriously, he has been sending or bringing her flowers. During the couple of weeks leading up to their wedding, he sent her a different arrangement every day. He continued this practice every Friday for a long time thereafter.

Marge had never been very much inclined towards sentimentalism and thought of herself as a strictly practical type. But it took several years for her to find the courage to speak up.

"You know, Stan, I really love you and I think it's terrific that you want to bring me flowers and you never miss a week, come hell or high water. "But you know, I'm not really mad about flowers that much. Besides, they die so soon afterward that I feel guilty that we're wasting our money. If you insist on buying me something, I'd rather you saved up for a more lasting gift..."

This is a trivial case (fortunately), but if you're unable to tell your relationship partner what's on your mind in small matters, it's unlikely that you'll feel comfortable doing so in major areas of concern.

Hurt and angry couples often tell counselors "he should have known..." or "she should have realized...." when things are already at breaking point. But they don't explain how he should known, or how she should have realized. Is he or she a clairvoyant? Did anybody actually tell him or her?

This approach is comparable to that of someone who never makes grocery lists before she goes to the supermarket, but relies on her intuition. After eight shopping expeditions, she might have six bottles of ketchup in her refrigerator. At other times, her family may have to go weeks on end without butter. In intimate relationships, such an approach to life can be disastrous. Never rely on your intuition, and even less so, the intuition of your partner. Ask your soul mate what's on his or her mind, and don't be shy to tell him or her what's on yours!

Other spouses who opt to keep their mouths shut don't get away with it so easily.

Habitually late...

Jake's wife, Pat, was habitually late whenever, for whatever reason, they agreed to meet at some place. Jake would often arrange to meet Pat at the appointed destination a half hour earlier than the time he really intended, but all the tricks in the book didn't help.

Jake normally worked to a tight schedule, and Pat's consistent disregard for punctuality and apparent lack of consideration needled him no end. For all that, out of concern for Pat's feelings, he never said a word about it. However angry he felt, he would bite his lip and remain silent.

Until one day when they were due to arrive separately at an family gathering where Pat's presence was important. She eventually showed her face over an hour late. The bubble containing Jake's years of simmering frustration finally burst. He screamed and yelled, embarrassing not only Pat but all their relatives.

To his credit, Jake had recognized his potentially destructive ego (see our article How to Tame the Destructive Ego on this site) right from the first time Pat had arrived late. He had resolved not to let it have its own way. Just unfortunately, he went about the task in an inappropriate fashion.

If there's one thing that we all have to learn, it's that we cannot drive our relationships on automatic pilot. On the contrary, we have to watch where we are headed, and make immediate course adjustments as necessary.

Azriel Winnett is the creator of Hodu. com - Your Communication Skills Portal. This popular website helps you to improve your communication and relationship skills on all levels, in business and professional life, in the family unit, and on the social scene. New articles added almost daily.


MORE RESOURCES:

New York Daily News

Colombian Coffee Growers Sue Over 'Mother Goose and Grimm' Strip
Editor & Publisher - 14 hours ago
By E&P Staff The Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers has launched a multimillion dollar lawsuit against cartoonist Mike Peters, over a Jan. ...
Colombian coffee growers sue US cartoonist Colombia Reports
Colombian Fedecafe Demands US Caricaturist Prensa Latina
all 155 news articles


Coffee Becomes First GOP Senate Pro Tem
KTUL, OK - Jan 6, 2009
Oklahoma City - Glenn Coffee of Oklahoma City has been installed as the first Republican to hold the No. 1 leadership position in the Oklahoma Senate. ...
Coffee vows to circumvent governor, voters on tort reform Journal Record (subscription)
NEW: New GOP majority announces ambitious plan Norman Transcript
Fiscal issues gain focus in Oklahoma Republican agenda NewsOK.com
Tulsa World - Durant Daily Democrat
all 32 news articles


Coffee retraces down as players grab profits
guardian.co.uk, UK - 12 hours ago
Sugar, coffee correct down from Tuesday's steep hike (Adds byline, dateline. Writes through with US comments and closing prices for US ICE markets) By Marcy ...
DJ ICE Coffee Review: Eases From Six-Week High As Oil Drops MarketWatch (press release)
SOFTS-Coffee falls on profit-taking, arbitrage in cocoa Forex Pros
SOFTS-ICE cocoa gives up end-of-year gains, raws also down Alibaba News Channel
MarketWatch (press release) - Forex Pros
all 16 news articles


WHDH-TV

Topless Coffee Shop Gets Permit From Planning Board
WCSH-TV, ME - 23 hours ago
VASSALBORO (NEWS CENTER) -- A proposal to open a topless coffee shop in Vassalboro has been approved for permit by the town planning board. ...
Topless coffee shop proposed for small Maine town The Associated Press
Topless Coffee Shop Idea Stirs Debate WMTW
Topless Coffee Shop Being Voted On In Maine ChattahBox
International Business Times - Riverfront Times
all 144 news articles


The Gossip Girls

Shenae Grimes: Coffee Chick
The Gossip Girls - 8 hours ago
Giving herself a little extra boost to get through the day, Shenae Grimes was spotted out for some coffee in Los Angeles this afternoon (January 7). ...


Scientific American

Coffee might lower risk of oral cancer
The Gazette (Montreal), Canada - 12 hours ago
Drinking coffee may help to lower the risk of developing oral cancer, according to new research from Japan. Dr. Toru Naganuma, of Tohoku University in ...
Health Matters: Coffee Fighting Cancer WCTV
Coffee Lovers Rejoice! New Study Shows Coffee May Prevent Oral Cancer About - News & Issues
Coffee could lower cancer risk 7Online.com
Inventorspot - RedOrbit
all 23 news articles


Colombian coffee growers to sue over US cartoon
The Associated Press - 13 hours ago
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian coffee growers are brewing up a lawsuit over a US comic strip joking that violence is so rampant there, maybe "there's a ...


Coffee, a cheer up and a critic
Arizona Daily Star, AZ - 1 hour ago
• Possibly the riskiest move Russ Pennell has made this season: After returning from last week's 0-2 trip to the Bay Area, he walked into a Starbucks near ...


CES: Your Free Press, Hard at Work with No Coffee
Barron's Blogs - 10 hours ago
Also, someone has taken away the free coffee… The paper shredders are, however, still here, and are actually being demo’d. Tech Trader Daily is a blog on ...


Coffee Co. Meth Raids
WTVY, AL - 9 hours ago
Since New Year’s Eve, Coffee County Sheriff's narcotic investigators have been going non-stop in breaking-up ten crystal meth labs. Making some 16 arrests, ...
‘Operation Pseudo’ results in 43 charges Southeast Sun
all 2 news articles

Coffee - Google News

       
   
Google
 
     
 
Action adventure books by Keith Hoare
   
 
Article Home | Ragged Cover | Copy Writing | Book Marketing | Writing Articles
 
Pendle Writers .com © 2006