Your Attention Please
Maggie succeeded – again – in getting me at least remotely interested in one of her latest topics du jour. Now guys will agree with me on this, giving even a small portion of your attention to some of your significant others’ diversions will most certainly have you tap-dancing your way through the most treacherous traps.
For example, during pillow talk last week, I feigned attention while Maggie was flipping through one of her fashion magazines. Inevitably when I do this, I am asked a question regarding – well, let’s say the ‘appeal’ – of some of the models.
- Image via Wikipedia
“What do you think of this?” Maggie asks as she flashes a page of a scantily clad 20-something picture of perfection.
OR
“Which one do you like better?” as she draws my attention to a trio of stunning subjects who could make you forget all about Charlie’s Angels in a nano-second.
You Don’t Want This Kind of Attention
Now tell me, what guy in his right mind is going to answer questions like that?
(uh, yes – you with the henpecked look – that’s right, ones who like to sleep on the couch. It was only a rhetorical question. You didn’t have to answer out loud but I’m glad you felt the need to participate)
Pay Close Attention to This
Luckily for me, Maggie has yet to master the art of reading the tiny nuances of facial expressions. Otherwise, she would pick up on the many hints I’m sure my face must be broadcasting in glorious HD such as pupil dilation, nostril flaring as my breathing escalates, as well as the drool trickling out the right side of my mouth.
Bodies don’t lie. Oh, I experience many other body cues to be sure. We’re just sticking with facial expressions for this article… family ‘G’ rating, you know.
However, Maggie totally disregards these tipoffs. Nope. She wants verbal confirmation.
I’m convinced it’s a woman thing. They constantly test men to see if we are really men. One minute we’re asked for our honest opinions; the next minute we’re scrambling to defend ourselves.
Early on in our relationship, Maggie would ask me if I liked her red dress. Being the gentleman that I am, I gave her every assurance that I thought she looked spectacular in that outfit. (and trust me guys, Maggie really knows how to turn heads!)
Anyway, Maggie would quickly retort, “What… YOU DON’T LIKE MY BLACK DRESS?!”
I wore out a couple pairs of tap-shoes before I finally caught on.
Guys: THIS – IS – A – TEST
Now That I Have Your Attention
WOW – that was quite the intro for today’s real subject – how I got hooked into yet another one of Maggie’s pastimes: Jon and Kate Plus 8. I think you’ll see the connection in a moment.
To be perfectly honest, typically I’m not interested in celebrity gossip. However, this particular case is so pervasive as to be completely unavoidable.
Whether you think it’s simply a slick advertising ploy to stir up a buzz, or an insidious invasion of privacy, one thing is for sure; Jon and Kate have been subjected to more scrutiny in the past several months than most people could possibly endure in an entire lifetime.
In our home this story has sparked several lively conversations where Maggie and I took a close look at how we deal with our considerable differences. And while we both gratefully acknowledge that our dissimilarites are nothing compared to Jon and Kate, the way that we handle our numerous small diversities now will certainly go a long way towards averting a ‘Jon and Kate‘ scenario any time in the foreseeable future.
Rather than going with the popular consensus, “There but for the grace of God”, Maggie and I instead use this situation to ask ourselves better questions like:
“How can we prevent this from happening to us?”
Or even better…
“How can we build on and improve what we already have?”
Where to Focus More of Your Attention
- Image via Wikipedia
While I certainly wouldn’t want to trade places with Jon and Kate, I do want to thank them for having the guts to put themselves out there for the world to see and learn from. Right or wrong, they have been one of the stronger influences of 2009 here in North America and around the world.
Me? I’d be happy just to influence Maggie to feign a little interest in Blue Jays Baseball. So far, I haven’t gotten her pupils to dilate nor her nostrils to flare… not even a smidgeon. Perhaps if they were in a fashion magazine.
Then again, with the Jays currently riding a seven-game losing streak, they are quickly going losing my attention, too. More time to follow Jon and Kate?
NOT!
