Women and the telephone - sort of rant

[Walt34]

Yesterday morning I asked my Social Director (DW) to make arrangements with some friends to meet for lunch. They live two hours away and we've collectively been intending to meet halfway somewhere on a day when no one has any schedule conflicts but this has been getting put off for months now.

Now, if Rick and I were assigned this task the phone call would last somewhere between 30 seconds and five minutes, max. And it would get done, as in finished.

DW's call lasted two hours. And we still don't have a firm time/date/location.

Intellectually, reasonably, logically, I sort of have a faint and dim comprehension of why this happens, since I read an earlier edition of You Just Don't Understand! about 26 years ago. It was an eye-opener and I still remember thinking "Oh, that's why she does that" many times through the book. It's not about getting anything specific done, it's about maintaining relationships. Yeah, got that part.

Don't misunderstand, DW is a sweetheart and I love her dearly.

But we still don't have a lunch time or location.

 

[braumeister]

There's something else going on here.

You suspected this would happen, but instead of scheduling the lunch yourself, you asked DW to do it. If the task were really straightforward, you could easily have accomplished it in a few minutes. But you didn't want to.

I would suspect that somewhere among the four people involved, there is some reluctance to do this (for whatever reason).

 

[pb4uski]

In the time it took you to write your post you could have called Rick and sorted it out.

 

[MichaelB]

Now, if Rick and I were assigned this task the phone call would last somewhere between 30 seconds and five minutes, max. And it would get done, as in finished.

That was before you retired. Now that you have more free time you may start to see this differently.

 

[Arifriekinel]

Don't worry, it's not all women Not a phone call in my family is going to last more than 5 minutes if we have anything to say about it. We picked up technology 20 years ago and never looked back. Texting is quicker nowadays anyway, if you're going to meet up in person anyway. No reason not to save the conversations for then, when you're all together.

As far as maintenance, isn't that why you're all going to meet up?

 

[W2R]

Now, if Rick and I were assigned this task the phone call would last somewhere between 30 seconds and five minutes, max.

Five minutes? Why would you be gabbing on and on for five minutes about something as simple as lunch? As brief as your phone calls are, still I'd bet that my cell phone minutes are 10% of yours. I hardly spend any time at all on the phone. Seems to me that different individuals (regardless of sex) spend different amounts of time on the phone.

 

[Amethyst]

Where is Khan when we need her: "Yet more proof that I am not actually a woman." Agree w/ those who suspect lunch reluctance for some reason.

I do like to chat, but can close a deal when needed, as well.

Amethyst

 

[haha]

Walt is cop. If anyone can detect subtle meanings it is likely him. Our long distance psychologizing is likely not much help.

Ha

 

[Amethyst]

Then gosh, are you saying he was just trolling for indignant, non-run-on-prone women?

A.

Walt is cop. If anyone can detect subtle meanings it is likely him. Our long distance psychologizing is likely not much help.

Ha

 

[haha]

Then gosh, are you saying he was just trolling for indignant, non-run-on-prone women?

A.

No, I am not. I think like he said, he wondered why women mostly talk a lot, even if many of them do not.

Ha

 

[Walt34]

No reluctance on my part to take care of it, but DW is the Social Director and Keeper Of The Calendar for that sort of thing.

But I think in this instance I'll go ahead and take care of it and then it'll get done. I just don't understand why that should be so complicated sometimes.

 

[ls99]

Don't despair, the higher authority does not understand either.

Subject: A Biker's Wish



A biker was riding on a highway along a California beach when suddenly
the sky clouded above his head and, in a booming voice, the Lord said:
"Because you have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant
you one wish.





The biker pulled over and said: "Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can ride
over anytime I want."





The Lord said, "Your request is materialistic, think of the enormous
challenges for that kind of undertaking. The supports required would
reach the bottom of the Pacific! The concrete and steel it would take!
It will nearly exhaust several natural resources. I can do it, but it is
hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things. Take a little
more time and think of something that would honor and glorify me."





The biker thought about it for a long time. Finally he said, "Lord, I
wish that I could understand my wife. I want to know how she feels
inside, what she's thinking when she gives me the silent treatment, why
she cries, what she means when she says nothing's wrong, and how I can
make a woman truly happy."





The Lord replied, "You want two lanes or four on that bridge?"

 

[kcowan]

Walt
After a 2-hour chat, DW has no need to get together. I suggest that you and Rick meet for lunch.

 

[Walt34]

Walt
After a 2-hour chat, DW has no need to get together. I suggest that you and Rick meet for lunch.

Actually, she does. Dave Barry wrote a column years ago on the same topic. They lived about an hour away from her mother and once a week or so his wife would go there for the day. I could relate to this because that was our situation as well. His wife would spend all day there, drive home, and then spend the next hour and a half on the phone with her mother. DW exhibited this behavior too.

His question (and mine): After spending all day with her mother, what could possibly have happened in that hour drive that takes another hour and half to discuss?

 

[gozer]

In college the concept of going out to eat often involved the following conversation (or similar):

Me: gweat?
Friend: sure, cow, pig, taco or round?
Me: round
Friend: alcohol?
Me: k

The whole process has gotten longer as I have gotten older.

 

[kcowan]

Walt
Yes I have experienced that phenomenon as well. I think it is just some new topics that they forgot to discuss.

My bet is that when you and Rick have the lunch scheduled, they will tag along. If not, so what?