This past weekend I had a choice. I could go shopping with my wife for five hours and be forced to give opinions or sit at home and watch football games. I don't mind short shopping expeditions, but these were going to be long explorations of going to every store in the universe until she found exactly what she wanted and of course it had to be on sale. I guess some husbands would enjoy thinking up ways to give the 'better be right' answer when the wife asked their opinion. I personally have never met such a man, but I know they must exist because it says so in quite a few women's magazines. I guess there's nothing more romantic than going shopping and the being told, 'my feet hurt' after you come home. Of course, once home, the wife will want to show you everything she bought, whether or not you were with her and saw it all. I guess the wife wants to know what you really think of it in the comfort of your own home. Any man who gives a negative answer is an idiot and should be forced to watch a 'What Not To Wear' marathon. If she likes it, you should too. If she is unsure she likes it, you should, for once in your life disagree with her and say, 'It makes you look stunningly so attractive that people will think you bought it at some real expensive boutique.' Make sure your voice has enough sincerity, or this conversation could last more than an hour. I decided to only see whatever it was once, stay home and watch football.
Life is unfair. I drink coffee or tea. I know I should try to be the typical slob and get sloshed on some beer that guarantees me some type of paradise, but I prefer to be sober when suffering disappointment. Drinking coffee also assures me the great probability I'll miss a key play when I go to the kitchen to get a cup. Football is a great teaching tool because it reaffirms the belief that life is unfair. I saw several obvious penalties missed by the referees and several referess give a really bad spot of the ball. I saw penalties call that weren't penalties and players get so upset at bad penalties that they got a penalty. Football games are contests and if anyone thinks contests are, or could be fair, then I'd say they must still believe in Santa Claus. I can't think of one contest I've ever been in that's really fair. Most contests have rules that benefit some and cause exclusion of others. Some contests are run by certain 'elites' who show favortism to other 'elites'. In this cae, it doesn't matter if you work is not as good as someone outside of this elitest group. Your fame will win you the prize and the poor slob who actually had the best whatever will be told nice try, or if the judges have a partially torn heart, will give him or her a consolation prize.
Some contests are more about friendships that about quality. Friends win every time. In a lot a contests there is descrination by age. If your up against a cute child, your chances are about as good as Boston College winning the National championship in football. I have had two experiences in my youth and one recently that has affirmed and reaffirmed my belief that contest are rigged. I was vice president of my church's youth group. I was suppose to be the president in the next election. I certainly had the support of my peers. Rules stated the president had to be a member of the church for one year to be president. Well, a new family joined our church and they had money. There son joined our youth group. I won the vote, but our pastor decided his vote would count for 50% of the votes. I lost by one vote. The rules concerning time of church membership were suspended. Several of our members quit because of this unfairness. I stayed. I was still loyal to my church at that time. In high school, I was in the elite 18 person Choralers singing group. I have a good singing voice. I tried out for the lead role in a school play. Everyone I knew, even the person selected, said I was the best. The drama teacher picked another student. His dad was on the school board. I was offered another role and I turned it down. The drama teacher went to the principal and tried to force me to be in this play! He was screaming at me and calling me names. To this day I still remember his unprofessional conduct.
These experiences made me shy away from contests. One recent contest just reaffirmed my belief that contest are unfair or rigged. I do not enjoy competition. I like to participate, but unless I am fully satisfied and have no doubts that a contest is fair, I simply want to part of such a farce. I hate unfairness and I detest prejudice no matter what form it is in. I believe strongly in equality. I find it totally shameful when any person, friend or foe, acts in a manner that is not fair. Truth matters and there's no exemption or excuse for a lack of truth.
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Comments: 68
William I would have voted for you.
I think your a very positive honest sort. Thanks for this article. I wish things were a bit simpler in life. But we trudge on don't we?
What you need to do is...get a night job so that you can use the excuse that you have to sleep instead of being able to go shopping with your wife. Oh jeeeez...that would mean no Foot ball either....Darn, thought I had it there for a moment.
Have a great day!
believe it or not, I am not a shopping fanatic - I like to look sometimes and I love a sale that allows me to buy two things to wear instead of one but I also love to sew and somewhat design my own clothes. My husband is more of the shopper and he has to try on everything to make sure it fits. I sometimes buy now and try on later and hope it fits. I hate changing clothes - prefer to dress comfortably or not dress, whatever - and I hate the stupid changing rooms in the stores.
But what chaps me the most is the health care providers, that attend to disabled persons only get paid $5.95 an hour. They have to drive their vehicles with no reimbursement for gasoline. But the kid at McDonalds makes $7.05 an hour just to throw french fries in a basket. They get to work at one place and dont have to drive from one place to another. Dont have to support a family with that money either.
Contests of all sorts seem unfair. The big ones here on Gather can be rigged by e-mailing 80,023 close friends to join and vote for your entry. Smalller ones here, I don't know. Competition makes me anxious. I feel like I HAVE to win and of course, that isn't true.
Off to another morning of running kids here and there. I think I will have a contest and the winner gets to go to the DDS office with the kids in 45 minutes. YOU WON! Hooray! Please be there to meet the kids as quickly as possible!
Love Wilma's fella.
lovely
LOL
HER DIARY
Sunday night I thought he was acting weird.
We had made plans to meet at a bar to have a drink. I was shopping with
my friends all day long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that I
was a bit late, but he made no comment. Conversation wasn't flowing so
I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk, he agreed but
he kept quiet and absent. I asked him what was wrong - he said,
"Nothing." I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset. He said it
had nothing to do with me and not to worry. On the way home I told him
that I loved him, he simply smiled and kept driving. I can't explain
his behavior; I don't know why he didn't say, "I love you, too." When
we got home I felt as if I had lost him, as if he wanted nothing to do
with me anymore. He just sat there and watched T.V.; he seemed distant
and absent. Finally I decided to go to bed. About 10 minutes later he
got up and went to sleep on the sofa. I still felt that he was
distracted and his thoughts were somewhere else. I decided that I could
not take it anymore, so I decided to confront him with the situation but
he had fallen asleep. I started crying and cried until I too fell
asleep. I don't know what to do. I'm almost sure that his thoughts are
with someone else. My life is a disaster.
HIS DIARY
RACQUET MATCH LOST BY BOSTON CHAMPIONS
You mentioned a poem you submitted on my page. Which one was it?
Thank you Tammy.
I can't wait to hear this. lol
But Donald gave himself that shiner William. He just wanted your pity.
I think you should take your wife shopping and forget about all your problems. Nothing like a 23 hour shopping excursion to make other concerns disappear.
Shan and I quit going clothes shopping together awhile back although he has a good eye. I seldom buy new clothes.
As for contest or competition ask my daughter, she has worked her butt off to be on one of the school sports teams for three years and has never made it. That hurts!
Thank you William for your insight its both informative and humorous.
Blessings
I know, it's not the answer or comment you were looking for but just to let you know... I hate to shop!!!!! Let me run in and get what I want FROM a list I have premade, and I am outta there. Football, I'll never understand why the heck it takes so danged long to move 10 yards! (I'm not out there doing it though with a bunch of dumptruck guys blocking my way, so I just do the cooking and serving and shut up while a game is on)
Personally, except for Christmas, I don't like shopping.
And I don't like unfairness either.
You made some valid points about your wife and shopping,
but after your remarks on my recent article, I think you should
appreciate her!
love reading it! There's no one to ask 'will you go with me'
while I shop for clothes! Just as well though! You are such
a marvelous person William, I am so glad to have you in my
life dear man. Don't know what I would do with out you. I
am getting over my problems but it is very hard to do. I'm
taking it one day at a time, only thing I can do I guess.
I loved Bhawana's comment - left me chuckling so now I'll have to reread the rest because she distracted me.
Didn't she show you when she came home??
The other horses came to visit her today, They visited across the fence. I dont really think she likes them anymore. I think she has gotten uppity. Thinks she is better than them since she has special treatment. Like a nice dry place to eat. Has been bought more and more pasture to play in. She thinks she is a queen now.
There are no answers to these questions. Well, there might be an answer to their need to stay near the available adult. They lived their first few years in a car or motel room and were always together!