Sunday, September 07, 2008

[body clock] perceptions and priorities


Have you ever thought how vital the little things are in life, such as priorities, preferences and even body clocks?

If we were to go out for supper and had pizzas, it wouldn't matter in the least if you had chicken and mushrooms and I had salami and peppers but if it was a case of sleeping in the same room later, then you might want the window closed and I might want it opened.

Then we really do have a problem because a compromise here is going to leave both irritable.

If I'm the type who shuts up shop around 11.30 p.m. and wants to go to bed and read but you're the type who sees 11.30 p.m. as the signal to wheel out all the makings of a sumptuous feast each and every night which takes two and a half hours to prepare and a half hour to clean up after that and if you expect scintillating conversation from a non-night owl and you don't get it, then there's going to be trouble somewhere down the line.

And when you're fast asleep till midday and I've been up and about since 5 a.m., that's seven hours of non-communication time. So, 17 hours later with each respectively, when we wish to shut down our systems - me at 9 p.m. and you at 4 a.m., we're not going to be in accord.

And if you need two or three hour snatches of sleep and I need a good solid 8 hours anyway, otherwise I can't face the next day, again we're heading for a fall.

And if we're in the car and you say we need to go to Naff Naff [true story, this] and I want to eat because it's 2 p.m. and you say well can't you wait just a while [which is code for let's shop for four hours] and I say you'll get much better results from me if you let me eat now and you throw the hands in the air because I'm the one actually at the wheel and I put up with the scowls for the twenty minutes I take to have the soup and caesar salad whilst you pick at a salad and if we then go shopping for four hours as promised, then this is going to become quite wearing for both parties.

And when you waste money on shoes, the most expensive cosmetics you can find and a new dress when we are at an economically difficult time but you say I wasted money on a Macintosh when a little PC would have done just as well, the makings of rebellion are in the air.

And when you say that for someone so supposedly energetic, I'm so passive and pedestrian at times and I say I just want the quiet life when you want action and really exciting things, and when you want to fight because you feel better afterwards but I detest fighting over nothing, we really can't stay under the same roof unless something seriously alters.

However ...

When we find that we basically have the same ideas on sleep, priorities, economizing, romance, movies, basic directions and are able to compromise, then the result is tranquillity and that is what I have found. The energy surges back, things become possible again and hope springs anew.

9 comments:

  1. I'm glad you have found tranquillity, James. Do I recognise myself there as the 4 am lady?! But how can shoes and cosmetics ever be a waste of money?

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  2. Hmmmmmmmmmm! I am all for the quiet life. A night in with the TV, wine and hubby. Sounds boring but I would call it contentment.

    This post was really good.
    Made me think too. After 20 years of marriage I guess we've both reached the compromise.....but hubby still wont go to the cinema! LOL!

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  3. Oh and shoes...............
    not a shopper but I could do with some new boots for winter...next week do you think?

    Dxx

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  4. Many sources for that rant, Welshcakes - hope you're feeling better.

    Mrs N - work on the cinema bit. New boots for winter are on my list too.

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  5. An Ale for you, James, a pint of plain for me. Would that be a nice compromise? :)
    Great post.

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  6. I'm glad to see you are having a peaceful interlude.

    I spent so many years having to be a day person, starting work at 8am when in actual fact I am a night person and poke around until 2 am every night now that I am free to do so.

    Don't spend money on cosmetics at all, just a waste at my age. Shoes, yes, but only comfy ones.

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  7. Cheap cosmetics and cheap shoes for me, I'm a cheap date........sad I know.
    Great post.

    Anna

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  8. Both the not-wife and myself have our extravagances but we have pretty similar outlooks and that helps. THe not-wife is far more of a night owl than I am though...

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  9. The peaceful life for me always...

    I have been forced to live outside my body clock times for some time now, it would be great to get back to normal!

    Eating after 2 and shopping for 4 hours! - No way!

    It is nice you have found a bit of tranquility :-)

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