"You Always Had the Power"

My Sweetheat is a very smart man, but...sometimes he discusses things with me that I know will not work. I am a very smart woman.  I express the question of why it will not and he tells me, "No, it will." Usually he self corrects without telling me anything. This morning was different, after almost 40 years of marriage we are finally getting somewhere, he discovered I knew!

He designed a decal to put on his car for advertising his business, a great idea.  (I actually suggested this a couple of years ago)  Now he is moving on it.  He designed a beautiful graphic with words and colors and we both agree on the design so he sent for sample colors. The samples came and we both approved.

Here's the dilemma.  He told me he was going to design the decal for the other side of the car as a mirror image. "I don't think that will work. The design and words will be backwards. What are you thinking?" I said.  He proceeded to tell me how it will work.  I being a older wife and know when this smart guy makes up his mind he knows best... let him be. He is stubborn like me. Unless he sees for himself there is no convincing him.

This morning, he tells me he worked three hours on turning that decal around and it will not work. It will read backwards. And then he asked "When we were talking about that before did you see this?"  I said, "Yes."

Now he tells me, "You could have saved me three hours of work last night by telling me this!"

"Oh no, I'm not taking the rap for your inability to see this.  I learned long ago when you decide your way is the right way, you will not listen to anyone, especially me. Some things are best left for you to discover on your own."

He says, "I'm giving you permission to help me next time."

I'm thinking I tried to help you with this already.

"Why Sweetheart I help you all the time, it is just sometimes, I let things be. It is just better this way. I've been living with you for decades. When you don't respect my opinion at times, I weigh the importance and let it go sometimes. This was one of those times."

He still angry at himself, wants to argue about his wasted three hours...I say, "No, I'm out of this one. You are smart and usually right about many things, I knew you would figure it out eventually and you did."

He surprised me by actually thinking back to my initial objection and seeing I may have known something he did not.  By George, I believe we are making progress after 40 years! This is magnificent! Most women don't have this kind of patience it takes for a marriage to evolve. 😆

You just wait, I know him well, he will call me later today and apologize for getting angry with me about his mistake. Yep, he's a keeper. I'll let you know IF he calls...

In a relationship, "Do you want to be right? or do you want to be happy?"