Why You Shouldn't Ask Your Spouse For Feedback

So, I started work today after quite a few months of leave. It was a good day but hectic - and I'm too tired to write about it right now. Instead, putting up what I composed two days back. Bye!

Early morning conversation over tea.



Y: Honey, tell me three faults of mine.

Vijay (almost chokes while sipping tea): What?

Y: I'm in the mood for self-improvement. Go on, tell me my faults.

Vijay (sugary voice): You? Faults? You have no faults.

Y: It's okay, really. You can tell me. No problem. Tell me. I really want to know.

Vijay: No, no, let's talk about something else.

Y: Honey, please! Tell me - I want to work on it. You can tell me. Come on.

Vijay: Well, there's one right there, right now - you're so obstinate.

(Silence. Hurt look on my face.)

Vijay: But in a good way! Obstinacy is good. It gets things done.

Y: Hmmm. Fine. What else? Tell me another.

Vijay: Well...you do tend to be rigid.

Y: Me, rigid? Am I really rigid?

Vijay: Yes. A lot of the time. All the time.

Y: Really? I'm like that? Sort of 'My way or the Highway' types?

Vijay: Noooo....You're more like 'My way IS the Highway'. Ha ha ha.

(Silence)

Vijay: But rigidity can be good - it means that you don't sway this way and that - it helps you to be decisive. Yes, we need people who can make decisions.

Y: But I often change my decisions.

Vijay: Yes! And that means you're flexible and adaptive.

Y: But if I'm flexible and adaptive, how can I also be rigid?

Vijay: Because you're only rigid about one thing at a time. Then you change your mind and are rigid about another thing.

(Silence)

Vijay (Getting into the flow and clearly starting to enjoy himself): ...and you don't really let things go, you know. Little things - you can't let them go. You know that?

Y (Hastily): Okay, okay. That's the third fault. Fine.

Vijay: Third? Only two so far, I thought?

Y: Obstinacy. Rigidity. Not letting things go. That's three...Aren't you getting late for work now?

Vijay (Tilting his head back thoughtfully, putting his hands behind his head while stretching out his long legs): Shall I take the day off so that we can talk about this?

A very kind offer which I unfortunately had to refuse.