Turkeys and Girl Talk
Went to Thanksgiving at the sister-in-laws house. I had prepped Mom with her marching orders ahead of time. "Do what you're told, sit down and shut the heck up" Sounds harsh but last year she had much drama with the S-I-L who did not respond well to my Mother's insistence that Mom could "just organize these dishes for you before I sit down". Things went much better this year.
Until I mentioned a pet peeve I have with girl-talk. And I don't mean giggling about cute boys! I mean the way certain people who are usually women will never come right out and say what they want you to do, but will hint and be coy about it so as not to appear too bossy or aggressive or some such thing I couldn't care less about. You know like my Mother says "do you want to go get me some ice tea?" instead of saying "would you please get me some iced tea?" It's kind of the same thing, but I hate how complicated that kind of code can get when it gets out of hand.
All you women out there will think I am an idiot for this, but most guys just don't get it when you talk that way. Case in point: I'm on the computer and my room-mate says "let me know if the skype beeps". I say "It didn't beep, but there is a message on here from a while ago". She says, (in girl code, but I read it at face value) "oh, then let me know when you are done", and I say "I'll be done in a few minutes". And then a minute later she says "let me know when you are done" and then a minute later she says "let me know when you are done". So I say "do you want me to let you use it now, even though I am not done?" and she says "Well actually, yes". And I say "Jesus Christ, why the hell didn't you say so, how was I supposed to know you are talking in girl code! I don't speak girl code!" So I let her use the computer and I think she was amused.
So I brought this up at Thanksgiving, and it was like throwing a lit cigarette butt into a puddle of gas! Frank discussion and some shouting ensued. It's actually almost fun to do that with somebody else's family. I probably don't have to see them again till next Thanksgiving, and they might have calmed down by then. I might even get invited back.
Until I mentioned a pet peeve I have with girl-talk. And I don't mean giggling about cute boys! I mean the way certain people who are usually women will never come right out and say what they want you to do, but will hint and be coy about it so as not to appear too bossy or aggressive or some such thing I couldn't care less about. You know like my Mother says "do you want to go get me some ice tea?" instead of saying "would you please get me some iced tea?" It's kind of the same thing, but I hate how complicated that kind of code can get when it gets out of hand.
All you women out there will think I am an idiot for this, but most guys just don't get it when you talk that way. Case in point: I'm on the computer and my room-mate says "let me know if the skype beeps". I say "It didn't beep, but there is a message on here from a while ago". She says, (in girl code, but I read it at face value) "oh, then let me know when you are done", and I say "I'll be done in a few minutes". And then a minute later she says "let me know when you are done" and then a minute later she says "let me know when you are done". So I say "do you want me to let you use it now, even though I am not done?" and she says "Well actually, yes". And I say "Jesus Christ, why the hell didn't you say so, how was I supposed to know you are talking in girl code! I don't speak girl code!" So I let her use the computer and I think she was amused.
So I brought this up at Thanksgiving, and it was like throwing a lit cigarette butt into a puddle of gas! Frank discussion and some shouting ensued. It's actually almost fun to do that with somebody else's family. I probably don't have to see them again till next Thanksgiving, and they might have calmed down by then. I might even get invited back.