It is a mystery to me how men and women, inhabiting the same planet and even the same household for years can look at the same event and see something so totally differently.
My kids, son and daughter, each made a rather significant move recently. My daughter, who has been living at home since college graduation a year and a half ago, decided she was in a rut and up and moved to Chicago; no job, no connections, no prospects (yet – knock on wood). She just wanted a change. To which I say huzzah. Within a week of moving she needed a doctor, which she found, who referred her to another, a specialist. Yesterday was the second appointment. We’ve both been nervous for a week now; my wife worried about Alex’s health; I’ve been worried that the doctors might not accept our insurance.
My son too recently moved; after about 9 years in Atlanta he’s now living in Baltimore with two high school buddies. They live just off of Patterson Park. My wife’s first question when he described the place was “is the neighborhood safe?” My first question was “are there any good neighborhood bars or restaurants close by?”
I don’t think I’m particularly callous, and I don’t think my responses are that out of the ordinary. For a guy. I want my daughter to be healthy; I just assume she will be, that everything will be fine. Same with my son; he’ll be fine, it’ll be OK.
Most every Sunday I call my mother who is – I won’t say how old, but old enough (just) to be my mother. She’s living on her own in Florida. She’ll talk, I’ll listen, for anywhere from 10 to 20-some minutes. When my wife comes home she’ll ask me – did you talk to your mother today? Yup. How is she? Fine. What did she say? I don’t know; that she’s fine. How long did you talk? Fifteen minutes. And that’s all you can say – that she’s fine?! Well – that’s the gist of it, that’s the important part I remember
And yet – I could tell you who played in the basketball games last Saturday and Sunday AND who each team had beaten in the previous round to get to Saturday or Sunday. What’s strange is my wife doesn’t even know who Butler or VCU are.
