Both my wife and I are reaching middle age. As we reached this stage in our lives we made some radical decisions. One was to go back to school. We are both full time college students and I also have a full-time job.
When I was younger, I don't remember so much writing in school. I'm sure it was there, I just chose to ignore it. Now it seems that we are constantly at the computer composing our prose for this or that assignment. I love to write. I may not be that good at it but it is a way to amuse myself.
Although being a good writer in her own right, my wife writes like she talks. Several tangents straying away from the central topic never to return. (I'll blog on this later).
Sometimes I sit down and review her writing and organize the thoughts into logical streams of thought. This has worked very well as she has a very high GPA of which we are both very proud.
That is until one day when I find out that one of her papers has been selected for reading at a symposium. Remember me mentioning her thought processes? A stray though never crosses her mind without coming out her mouth and now she has to read this paper at a college symposium. To say the least, she was not happy. Suddenly all the gratitude for my assistance was turned to scorn. Needless to say, I'm not asked for assistance much anymore.
I guess that sometimes being helpful can have an adverse effect.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Always Plan to be Spontaneous
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines spontaneous this way:
My wife is always complaining about my lack of spontaneity. I like a plan and hate to deviate from it.
One day I decided to be spontaneous, so I stopped on the way home and got some flowers and a card. I planned to arrive home and announce that we were going out to dinner.
As I drove home, I imagined the thrill of my wife's voice at this idea. I arrive at home with the flowers and proceed to announce my dinner plans still riding the enthusiasm of my idea. So much for a great idea.
As my wife so eloquently informed me, " The next time you plan to be spontaneous, you need to let me know ahead of time."
1 : proceeding from natural feeling or native tendency without external constraint
2 : arising from a momentary impulse
3 : controlled and directed internally : self-acting <spontaneous movement characteristic of living things>
4 : produced without being planted or without human labor : indigenous
5 : developing or occurring without apparent external influence, force, cause, or treatment
6 : not apparently contrived or manipulated : natural
2 : arising from a momentary impulse
3 : controlled and directed internally : self-acting <spontaneous movement characteristic of living things>
4 : produced without being planted or without human labor : indigenous
5 : developing or occurring without apparent external influence, force, cause, or treatment
6 : not apparently contrived or manipulated : natural
My wife is always complaining about my lack of spontaneity. I like a plan and hate to deviate from it.
One day I decided to be spontaneous, so I stopped on the way home and got some flowers and a card. I planned to arrive home and announce that we were going out to dinner.
As I drove home, I imagined the thrill of my wife's voice at this idea. I arrive at home with the flowers and proceed to announce my dinner plans still riding the enthusiasm of my idea. So much for a great idea.
As my wife so eloquently informed me, " The next time you plan to be spontaneous, you need to let me know ahead of time."
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