If you have never had a road map in the car between you and your husband, you have missed one of life's greatest frustrations. There's something about a road map that puts the nerves on edge, raises the blood pressure, and creates explosive verbal exchanges. Thus was the case on our recent road trip.
I will make it clear right here and now that I am not a fan of road maps. I've never been able to decipher one well. Dora the Explorer, I'm not. I've heard that we respond to one of two types of directions. I do not fit into the map type. Tell me to get on interstate whatever, go 50 miles, or 1200 miles, take this exit, turn right on that road, and I'm there. No problem. The times I made deliveries for my son at work he'd pull out a pen and paper and start drawing me a map. I'd tell him no, give me road names and a left and right. Clearly, he's the map type, just as Robin is.
I can't count the number of times we pulled to the side of the road to read a map I was supposed to be in charge of. Actually, the map was an Atlas, not a state map, so the roads weren't all listed and named. So, either Robin drove with the map in front of him or we pulled off and the map was snatched from my hands. I finally had an idea.
"When we get to the hotel, you study the map, chart our course, and I will write it all down. I'll list the roads, exits, and towns where we will pick up a new road."
"No. I don't want to do it that way."
OK. I think I know how he wants to do it. He wants to order me to read the map, remove sunglasses, dig in purse for reading glasses, and ask every few seconds if I have finally found the road. At least that's how it went down.
So here we are on the side of the road and he is telling me for the 100th time that I need to learn to read a map.
"And you need to learn how to make cinnamon rolls," I countered.
He stared at me.
He didn't get it.
"Why do I need to learn how to make cinnamon rolls?"
"The point is, neither of us know how to do everything and that's ok."
Apparently not.
It's been said that you have a solid marriage if you have survived building a house together or having one remodeled. Let me add road trips to that.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
PEGGY, I LOVE THIS....MY HUSBAND CANT FIND ONE THING IN THIS HOUSE..I WILL GO GET IT FOR HIM AND IT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM.....SO WHAT IF WE CANT READ A MAP....MINE TELLS ME I NEED TO RESERVE A ROOM WHERE MY MOM IS.....LOVE PATTI
Poor Patti!
My husband knows I can't help much on road maps either. I too have to find things for him in the house, outside the house, at work, etc. I keep telling him to "look like a woman". Men tend to not look under things. Drives me crazy! I'm glad we do things to drive them there too:)
Patti, you might as well reserve one for all of us. But wouldn't it be fun to be a fly on the wall when our husbands try to tackle the kitchen and laundry rooms without us?
Even with a GPS they don't get it! Thank God we are on a road and not in a co-pilot seat in the air! They would blame you for going into a plain view mountain because you didn't tell him to turn right. They are all the same.....
Cheryl, I failed to mention that his GPS was mounted on the dash in front of him. Go figure.
A road trip can make or break a marriage. I remember before we had kids road trips were a time where I could have brian's full attention and I'd start on him about starting a family. Now that we have our 3 angels in the back with a dvd player each, things are pretty quiet.
1. I love to read maps. Always have.
2. The illness starts young with men--my five-year-old boy will stare blankly in the fridge and claim not to the find his cup of juice right in front of his face.
3. I'm glad the two of you survived the road trip because it was great being your destination!
Angela, you are such the nerd:) When I come visit you, I'm programming the GPS. No road maps for me.....maybe I will have one just in case the GPS fails.
Love you!
Oh my gosh, this was too funny. I do ok with maps, it's just that I can't see such small print anymore, even with my reading glasses. Don't tell me to get a magnifying glass, that's just one more thing to hold in your lap when you are trying to locate the right spot on the map to begin with! I'm computer challenged anyway AND that also goes for the GPS. We were told "Off route, re-calulating" so many times that Ronnie yelled for me to "TURN THAT BITCH OFF"!! We had to laugh to keep from crying.
Post a Comment