The Husband Resource

Here comes the truth; women can be impractical. I speak mostly of the ones I've met. We don't know that we are completely impractical, and I'm not saying that men are unlike us at times. However when compared to most of the men I know, most of the women I know are impractical. This is evidenced in  matters big and small. Take a wedding for example. Most men would gladly show up in jeans and a tee-shirt. They'd say their vows, order some takeout and proceed directly to the honeymoon. Actually, they might prefer that. Most women on the other hand insist on wearing and insultingly expensive, one time wear, big white dress. They want to walk on petals of rose, with ice sculptures in the background. They want people playing harps, and four foot cakes. If left to their own devices they'd feed a small village the most expensive foods known to man. We'd top it all off with a honeymoon fit for the royalty we clearly believe we are. It's not just weddings that display our impractical side. It's in the little details like our "pocketbook." OK, let's just be honest here, they are more like duffle bags where capacity is concerned. First, we choose a huge bag that either matches our outfit, or makes it "pop." Then we fill this huge bag with all our "necessities." I've known women who judging from the stuff in their pocketbook, they are equipped to put on an entirely new face and change their identity via the massive loot of make up in their bag. They could sanitize a restaurant or public restroom. They could tend the sick, and wounded, read or write a novel (depending on preference). Some could feed the hungry, and thirsty just from contents of their purse. Don't even get me started on the accessories in those things! I've seen women carry a pocketbook in their pocketbook! Wrap you mind around that one. Actually, I've done that last one.

Men on the other hand travel with a lone wallet. When a man leaves the house he's equipped to make a purchase, and be identified in the case of an emergency. He may or may not have insurance cards, or a picture of loved ones in his loot. 

     Truly it's no one's fault. I've been observing that these behaviors start early. Many of my friends have boys. Their little boys carry around a single (mostly small) toy item like a hot wheel car or an action figure. Wanna guess what my two and a half year old daughter carries around? She carries her baby, sometimes her blanket, and yes a pocketbook. Despite the burden of this little pocketbook on her balance. Irregardless of where she's going, she takes it. She not only carries around a pocket book with one hand held high to keep it in its place, she has chosen to fill it with two items: a small notebook and some party beads.

I was watching this yesterday, and thinking how funny it is that she would do such a thing. It occurred to me that I'm guilty of the same. I just do it in other areas. As it turned out I had been struggling with my impracticality all that day. It's time for our home school to begin. I was pouring over the idea of making a schedule. I even set aside time out of my already packed day to read a book about making a schedule. I was in meltdown mode to my husband about all I need to get done, how I need a good schedule, and how mine doesn't work for us. Without hesitation he asked "why do you need a new schedule the ones you had were fine?" Of course that ticked me off, in a second I'll explain why. I proceeded to tell him that there are many considerations in my day.  Many of which he's unaware of, and naturally this is why he doesn't understand why I'm in need of a more effective schedule. Truly I thought it rather presumptuous of him to assume that he could resolve an issue I've struggled with for years, in five minutes or less. This is what annoyed me. And for his effort I then sarcastically challenged him to verbally outline his idea of what my schedule/day should look like. He did. Without repeating all he said, the gist was, keep it simple. Make a schedule and stick to it. He basically told me almost verbatim what was said in the book I was reading about scheduling. He even gave me some creative ideas I hadn't considered and that were not mentioned in the precious book. He's never read the material. I was impressed, actually floored is more like it. All of his suggestions were dead on common sense. In a word, practical. I genuinely thanked him for his advice and input. In the hours since, all I could think of is why don't I just go to him whenever I have any issue at all. This man is a wealth of no nonsense information. You'd think after 16 years of marriage (16 years today actually) that would be my automatic response in all things. Unfortunately, no. I made a mental note that he'll be hearing a lot more from me. On my own I sometimes try to achieve what is ideal and at times impossible. My husband deals with what is real and possible. It's a blessing to have someone with a reliable compass point me in the right direction when I head of track.  He's a wealth of information and I hope God grants me many more years to learn from him.