It's Beautiful, Ron!

     One of my husband Ron's favorite holiday movies is  National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  We have watched it at least once every year since it came out in December 1989.  That year we saw it in the theatre on Christmas Eve.  We were the only couple there.  It still cracks us up!  It doesn't end with the season though. Ron finds one-liners from the production useful throughout the year.

      Why just the other day I mentioned to him we really needed to clean the house.   First he replied, "Oh, woo!  Look at the time.  I gotta get to bed.  I still gotta brush my teeth, feed the hog, still got some homework to do, still got those bills to pay, wash the car..."  Then for good measure he threw in,  "I'll be upstairs sleeping if you need me."

      Ron stays very informed about current events by surfing the Internet and reading several online newspapers daily.  Once I walked by and noticed he was entrenched in an article which contained a large photo of a very attractive, scantily dressed young woman.  He looked up at me as I passed by and sheepishly explained, "I was just blousing...I mean browsing."  He grinned, "Can't see the line, can you Phyllis?"

      In addition to checking out the online periodicals, we subscribe to the local newspaper.  Ron trudges down the driveway with our dogs, Molly and Annie, to take care of business and get the paper almost every day. If it is a cold winter morning, he rarely misses the opportunity to announce when he comes back into the house, "It certainly is a bit nipply out."  

     A few months ago, I was in the kitchen spouting off about the inconsistency of how our oven works.  Exasperated, I asked, "Why do some things get done quicker than others at the same recommended temperature?"  

     Ron shrugged, "I don't know, Margo."

     I could go on and on but I'll stop here.  I do know Ron loves Christmas and this movie.  He takes great pride in beautifully decorating the outside of the house but he Is quick to credit to the appropriate person.  "Dad taught me everything I know about exterior illumination."

 

 

 

 

     May you have a very Merry Christmas and enjoy the warm embrace of kith and kin!

    

The Stranger Within Us

       Have you ever been totally surprised by an action or reaction of someone you thought you knew well?  The junior psychologist in me thinks this is because there is a stranger within all of us.  This stranger seems to hide the deep-seated fantasies, hopes and  dreams, as well as the fears and insecurities that have accumulated just through living experiences.  Normally, this stranger stays quiet as we go about enjoying and conducting our daily lives, relationships, etc.   On occasion, without warning, this stranger flares up in unexpected ways and causes havoc. 

       The recent FSU Jameis Winston debacle may be an example.  From the beginning of the 2013 football season, he was admired and touted as an amazing leader with a great personality and high family values.  No one will ever know exactly what happened on the night of December 7, 2012, and most of us want to believe no malice was intended.  It seems to me, from all outward appearances, the stranger within everyone involved took over, and ultimately caused confusion and pain.

        Here's another less volatile example.  Have you ever confronted your spouse with something they said or did that has gnawed at you for hours, or maybe even days, only to have them respond with "huh?" They give you the "deer in headlights" stare.  In other words, they have no idea what you are talking about. So, you have to replay the whole incident to them, which probably pisses you off even more.  (Okay, guys, wipe the grin off your face. I'm not just talking women here.)  After "discussion," more times than not, the whole thing turns out to be a totally innocent comment or act.  So why did it upset you in the first place?  My theory is that it hit one of those little insecurities hidden in the stranger within you.

       The more I think about it, I wonder if the stranger within us may be the unintentional culprit to cause occasional spats with friends and family.  Maybe, maybe not, but at the very least, it might be a good thing to be aware of this holiday season. 

       Have a happy holiday!