Sometimes I Say Dumb Things

Bridget and I got in an argument on Saturday. It wasn't a big argument. Most, if not all, aren't. But this argument, when it comes right down to it, had one major cause:

I said something at the wrong time.

It wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I didn't call her a name, ask her if she'd gained five pounds, or insult her mashed potatoes. I simply asked her to move her dirty socks from the living room floor to the laundry. (I may have actually said, "Hey, do we always leave socks on the floor now? Is that our new thing?") Sounds harmless enough, right? As I learned, it's not what I said, it's when I said it.

Now, let me step back for a second and talk about my communication skills. To be honest, I think they're quite good. I tend to be open, honest, and direct. If I like something, I'll tell you. If I don't like something, I'll tell you. Twice. As a writer/editor by profession, I have to be fairly skilled at stringing together sentences and  knowing where to put, commas. (That was a joke.) I've also put in a lot of work on my presentation skills since I'm lucky enough to work somewhere that encourages this personal development.

In a nutshell, I'd give myself a solid B+/A- when it comes communication in my life. But with Bridget on Saturday, you can just put a nice, big "F" on the top of my report card. Why?

Well, let's break it down:
1. Bridget had been up since 4 a.m. (girl stuff) and wasn't feeling her best. (So you think I'd be very cautious with what I said, right?)
2. I had just come in from a run and had some energy. ("Let's go! Let's get things done! Woooo!")
3. I think every problem is black and white. There's a problem and there's a solution. (Hint: That's not true.)
4. I'm an idiot sometimes.(See No. 1.)

Now, could Bridget have been a little sensitive? Sure. She gets that way sometimes. But the little argument taught me a big lesson: Before I open my mouth (which I do often), I should think for, oh, at least 2-3 seconds. Is Bridget not feeling well? Will the sun come up tomorrow if those socks are still on the floor? Can I just pick up the damn socks?

Sadly, I'm quite certain this will happen again. I'll misread a situation and ask Bridget if she wants to have a salad instead of a juicy burger or if she meant to put on so much eye makeup. Empathy, unfortunately, doesn't come as naturally to me as sarcasm does. But I can keep trying and, when necessary, apologizing.  Most dudes are good at that ..