Sunday, April 25, 2010

Thank You for Listening to Me Bitch

Sometimes a catch phrase catches on:
"You might be a redneck..."
"Here's your sign,"
"Would you believe?"
"Where's the beef?"
"Did I do that?"
And so on.
I have decided that my new catch phrase is, "Thank you for listening to me bitch." Last night I was talking to Rick, and every once in a while I would realize I was complaining or ranting about something, and I would say, "Thank you for listening to me bitch." He says it's OK, I do the same for him, and that's true.
It's not written into the wedding ceremony, or at least any ceremonies I've seen, but part of being married is listening to each other complain, gripe, whine, bitch - whatever you're calling it in your relationship. It's a loving thing we do for each other.
Some people will abuse the privilege. Our older son, JD, tends to rant, and as he rants he builds up a head of steam and starts pacing around the room, and after ranting and pacing for quite a while he paces right out the door, ranting over his shoulder as he goes, and you're left sitting there in the silence wondering what that was all about.
It was about bitching. I wish he'd learn to say, "Thank you for listening to me bitch." I'd feel better.
You know how it is - you marry someone, you figure you made a choice. While you may have chosen to give birth, you were only the passive container of these little aliens who became your children, and their personalities often have traits that if you'd had a choice, you'd have said, "No, thanks."
If they're 28 and living with you again and subjecting you to traits you wouldn't have chosen, like marathon pacing rants, you might wish for a little acknowledgment on the kid's part that you're doing something for him while he sputters, pops, whines, and disgorges his discontent.
Well, he doesn't acknowledge that we've done anything for him, but it's made me think that when I'm ranting about something I owe my listener a thanks, at least, and if it's my husband, I owe years of thanks for listening to me. So the least I can do is say it.
Thank you for listening to me bitch.

2 comments:

Holly said...

I just have to smile as I add my English instructor's take: I am so accustomed to incredibly bad punctuation skills, my mind immediately read your title as "Thanks for listening to me, bitch." And I thought, "Why is Mary calling her husband a bitch?"

Holly said...

Gee, how ironic--I left a comma out.