Life is not a bowl of cherries here at our hillbilly mansion. It's more like a box of chocolates. Some of those chocolates are bitter! Disagreements can usually be talked out. Unless one of the disagree-ers doesn't listen. Or as that certain disagree-er says, "I listen to you, but I don't hear you." This causes our sweet Val to endure occasional tongue-lashings which she does not deserve.
Tuesday afternoon, I was sitting at the kitchen table scratching lottery tickets when Hick got home. He'd planned to mow the front yard/field, but I told him it was too hot. He instead decided to watch Emergency and MASH, and have a beer and a snack in his recliner. His movements in my peripheral vision reminded me of my trip to the store earlier.
Hick was getting a small styrofoam bowl from beside the sink. There's always a couple that I set there, having been used once for pretzels or a dry snack, then the crumbs dumped out, and perfectly usable again.
"Save A Lot doesn't have ANYTHING any more!"
"I put this bowl here! It's the one I used yesterday!"
"And...?
"FINE! I'll get another one!" Hick stomped away from the counter to get a "new" styrofoam bowl from the other side of the kitchen.
"What does that have to do with what I was saying?"
"You said 'I CAN'T HAVE ANYTHING ANY MORE!' So I put down your bowl to get a new one."
"No. I said SAVE A LOT doesn't have anything any more! I noticed, because you picked up a bowl, and I went there to buy some of the big styrofoam bowls, and they were out. Also out of Nutty Oat Bread, and their store brand Honey BBQ Sauce. That's all I was trying to say when you flipped out. At least wait to yell at me when you actually know what I said."
"Well, you were looking at me because I took your bowl! But it was MY bowl, that I used yesterday."
"I was looking at you because you picked up A BOWL, which reminded me that I couldn't find the big bowls at the store."
So many of these "discussions" could be avoided if Hick would only get a hearing aid, and not ASSUME he knows what I'm saying. I didn't give a fat rat's rumpus if he used that bowl.
My husband has had bad hearing forever and got hearing aids from Costco. Do you think he wears them? I asked him why he doesn't and he said because it hurts his ear when the dog barks. When we get mail delivered!
ReplyDeleteWell, of course he must leave them out all the time on the chance that the dog might bark for a couple of minutes!
DeleteOh we had to get on my step dad's case about a hearing aid. He was becoming withdrawn, and the TV volume was out of this world. Finally my mom dragged him down there, and he appreciates being able to hear again!
ReplyDeleteImagine how much more busybody-ing Hick could do at the senior center and his store if he could hear everything!
DeleteAhh, we have the same issues here. He comes to bed after removing his and then asks me questions. I pretend I am asleep sometimes.
ReplyDeleteHe probably thinks you're answering him, heh, heh!
DeleteI have no other idea than to make him stand directly in front of you like a naughty child and say "listen to me" before you speak to him.
ReplyDeleteI often say, "Now repeat that back to me," so I know if he understood what I told him to do.
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