Monday, July 5, 2010

Are You Listening? Scene from a marriage


GMR: “Mbekr ls jasr seu sejiej;sd sljfrojeue rfjsjre jrjr?”


Me: silence


GMR: “Se l alr jelrj ase msksjf;sjf sleij ajfsejp sflsejsem.”


Me: “Uh huh.”


GMR: “Slei slje kare lseusie etc etc etc.”


Me: “Hmmmm . . .”


Later:


GMR: “What time do you want to go?” (or: "Are you almost ready?")


Me: “Huhn?”


GMR: “What time do you want to go?”


Me: “Go where?”


GMR: Looks at me with that look


Me: Looks at him with that look then asks, “What’re you talking about? I don’t know about that.”


GMR: “I just told you the other day (or ten minutes ago).”


Me: “Huhn? What the other day(or ten min ago)? You didn't, either. I'd have remembered that.”


GMR: *sighhhhhhhhhhhh*
Me: "When? When did you tell me!"


GMR: "I told you e8rk eakrs uarhees . . ." *electrified hum in air . . . other voices chime in . . . Me loses clarity for a moment as Me is trying to think when he said it and where and how . . . *

Me: “Huhn? Oh, um . . . ha ha . . . I wasn't list--um . . ., er . . . um . . . ha ha . . .well . . . huhn . . . what did you say? ”


GMR: Big arse Siggghhhhh but it's an INSIDE sigh since he doesn't want to show he's sighing but Me knows he's sighing . . . can FEEL his inside sigh


Me: "I'll be ready in twenty minutes."


Folks. If you live with someone who works from home. If you life with someone who you know is concentrating so hard on what they are doing that they probably aren’t paying attention to what you are saying even though they are pretending to pay attention to what you are saying, they probably aren’t. Clues that they are NOT paying attention to what you are saying: “Silence. Uh huh. Hmmmmmmm.” Clues they ARE paying attention: “That sounds good. I like so and so. What time do we need to be there?”


I’m pretty sure it’s not only writers who have this scenario in their homes. Am I right? Are you listening? Are are you going “Uh huh . . . hmmmmmm. . .” Sighhhhhhh.

So . . . how goes it in YOUR house . . . ?

(shadow photo taken by me at Oregon Beach)

16 comments:

john bord said...

****>>><<<< n den
snark... dere


so true

lol

Darrelyn Saloom said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Darrelyn Saloom said...

This happens all the time in my house. Usually the phone will ring. "Where's Danny?" someone asks. "Gee, let me think." I say. "I know he told me where he was going. But I don't remember."

And that's because I was not listening. :)

Titus said...

Identifying. Identifying completely. Am not going to allow my husband to read this...

Michelle H. said...

Since it's only me at home, it makes it ten times harder since I'm trying to pay attention to such important thoughts with one side of the brain while my muse is going, "Umm, yeah, sure..."

Diane said...

That's how my kids hear me, especially my daughter. I feel like the teacher in Charlie Brown.... wah wah wah...... :O)

Judith Mercado said...

LOL. This post so hits home.

Karen said...

Yeah....oh, what were you saying? Nope never, in my house. Bwuaaaaha.

Donna M. Kohlstrom said...

Oh how familiar is this! Are you sure you haven't been a fly on my wall in my office? Or has my hubby been reporting to you behind my back? LOL!

Susan R. Mills said...

So familiar! I love it.

Jessica Nelson said...

Hahaaa! Sooo funny. :-) My husband has been doing a lot of work from home and we pretty much have learned to get eachother's attention before talking.

Jeanette Levellie said...

Oh yes. I call this the Stupid zone. Not because I'm stupid, but because I'm in my zone and anything you say to me will be filtered through this stupid screen that hears only meibhm oroof omm... like you said.

Great post!
jen

Debra said...

"But it's an INSIDE sigh", yes, yes, I've felt those many times before! Never have been able to put words to that "feeling" so thanks!

Deb Shucka said...

Laughing out loud, and really glad to hear I'm not the only one. Love the picture! Are you here?

Midlife Roadtripper said...

My husband is the one who says, We're doing what? He is much better at not listening. Seems like I say, "I told you that," often.

Probably why I can't write when anyone's home. Get to blame everything on them.

Unknown said...

Oh yeah ... every day ... uh huh! When I'm on the computer ... or reading ... or crafting ... or, well ... most anything, I have tunnel vision. I'm totally in that moment. I think my dear hubby, and my cat, get to feeling ignored and unloved (heavy sigh). Hubby starts talking and requiring real, true, competent answers (seriously??) ... cat lays on my keyboard (message received). Ah well ... what can one do. :) They keep me balanced.

Hey, pretty darn toasty in WNC these days ... hope you're surviving the heat. :)