Most of my advice is directed at men, but I’m pretty sure you women will be interested too.
Over Thanksgiving, I encountered a serious relationship barrier – football. It offended my girlfriend, on a personal level, that I wanted to spend any part of that day doing anything but looking deep into her eyes and whispering…well, thank you.
Why women feel so threatened by sports is beyond me. I mean, if I had been doing homework, or mowing her lawn, she wouldn’t have slammed down her turkey baster and yelled about Thanksgiving being a time to be together and talk. If I had been doing anything else, she may not have even missed my presence, except when we sat down to eat and my assigned sweet potato soufflé is missed. But sitting down to watch the Lions take on the Packers? A personal affront!
But the good news is, my girlfriend and I were able to make a compromise. I think that’s the key to any good relationship – giving up the things you want in favor of the person you want. The opposite is true if you want to develop a relationship with your Xbox (or other selected video game console) – you must give up the people you want in favor of the things you want.
So this Christmas, whether you do it to please your spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, parent or four-legged family member, keep in mind these three simple tips:
1.You have to make sacrifices in a relationship, but you don’t have to sacrifice everything – my girlfriend and I agreed I could pick the game I wanted to watch the most, and I was allowed to ignore her while it was on. When it was over, I ignored the other games and helped her pull giblets out of rib cages.
2.KISS – keep it simple, stupid – if your significant other asks you questions about the game, give a brief explanation that doesn’t make them feel stupid.
3.Commercials aren’t just for corporate exploitation; they’re also a good time to mute the t.v., look deep into your loved one’s eyes, and ask for more eggnog.
This article is bordering on slander.