8:36am Tuesday 23rd June 2009
By Alan Molineaux
We had a small tiff last week. Well perhaps more a discussion with attitude than a full-blown argument, but apparently I started it by not showing the correct amount of trust in Mrs M’s observation skills.
We were driving to one of our usual destinations and, at a busy junction, I asked her if there were any vehicles coming towards her side of the car.
Having received the appropriate response from my wife, I proceeded to drive, giving the smallest of glances up the road as I did so.
This was apparently my crime; I had asked for help and then looked for myself before driving off.
To me, this was a perfectly natural driving reaction and, as such, quite a reasonable thing to do.
My wife thought otherwise and so our discussion began towards uncovering the deeper meaning of my actions.
I protested that I am a man and therefore don’t possess deeper meaning, but my wife was already in psychoanalysis mode.
When we arrived at our destination, I tried to be helpful by asking our assembled group of friends for their opinions on the matter; needless to say the group was divided, mostly along gender lines.
My wife, enjoying the moral support of a sympathetic group of ladies, began to widen the discussion to include other areas; apparently I never park in the most suitable spot.
Mrs M seemed to be suggesting that I drive around the car park several times before deciding on a space and then, to increase her frustration, I reverse into the spot.
She, and her female posse, were of the opinion that I did this as a stalling tactic to avoid spending time in the shop.
My defence was simple; if I am driving, I get the choice of where to park. The male members of the party grunted in agreement but offered no explanation for my actions because they knew the real reason for my approach to parking – if there is a good song on the radio, I need to let it finish before I apply the handbrake.
I foolishly decided to confess this to the waiting crowd and the discussion turned into a corporate diagnosis of my OCD tendencies.
I didn’t care – to everyone else it might seem like an odd quirk of my character but I know that it is because I am an old-fashioned music lover. Listening to the whole song is showing full respect to the artist and his/her talent.
If it happens to annoy other family members in the process then that is just a fringe benefit.
As for taking a second look when we turn at road junctions, I think it might have to continue. Perhaps if I do it in time with the music, I can say that this too is showing respect to my favourite artists and not a lack of trust in my wife.
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