12°c Overcast
18°c Cloudy with sunny breaks
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Your mean-spirited wife deserved a frank telling-off
DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: At the lake I got stung hard by a large bee or wasp. The pain was piercing, and I had tears running down my face. I am a 47-year-old man, but I cried. My wife thought this was hilarious! She tried to choke back her laughter, but she was smirking big time. Then I heard her retelling the story to friends when she thought I wasn't in the cabin and laughing at me. She said I was "bawling like a baby." I found her female-macho attitude distasteful and humiliating. Am I over-reacting, because, believe me, I'm not feeling like being her lover since she mocked me in front of our friends.
-- Feeling Cold Towards Her, Lake Winnipeg
Dear Not Feeling Close: How can you "over-react" when you feel searing pain and the tears come out of your eyes? You reacted as a normal human being of any age with overwhelming pain. The tears are a natural release of chemicals from your system and they bring calmness minutes later. What your wife needed was a frank telling-off as soon as you regained your composure. It would have given vent to those feelings you harbour now, and have given your wife a chance apologize instead of thinking it was smart to tell the story behind your back to your friends. If you'd had it out, you might have had make-up sex (which we all know is extra tender and passionate) instead of spoiling your lake experience with hostility. Got young kids watching? There's nothing wrong with standing up for yourself, working it out and doing a little kiss-and-make-up in front of the kids, either. It teaches them a lot about boundaries, pride, the power of verbal express and forgiveness. People in this world need to see people interact off-screen like this, and for real.
Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: When we were on a recent road trip holiday in The States, my 12-year-old son ate a lot of spicy snack treats in the backseat and felt no compunction about ruining the air quality of our air-conditioned vehicle. Countless times we had to roll down the window in the heat to get air, and he laughed himself silly. We came to hate those spicy chips bags. When we got to Vegas, we noticed the people there were noticeably fatter than Canadians and that our one-and-only child -- the light of our lives -- was starting to look fat, always toting a chips bag and cola with him and stuffing his face and erupting with noxious gas. We decided to cut him off. On the trip home, we gave our captive nothing but healthy foods we called "jet fuel." He complained across one whole state. But, by the time we got home he was a few pounds slimmer on the scale, had decided he loves fruit, and started swimming at the pool nearby. Last night he shocked us by showing us his new leg and arm muscles and actually thanked us for the jet fuel.
-- Weak Parents No More, St. Vital
Dear Weak: Sometimes it's hard not to want to be your kid's big buddy, especially when you only have one child. But letting a child get fat and unhealthy, plus rude and unattractive, is doing him no favours. Remind your son with pride you are the parent, which is a lot higher ranking than a buddy, and that you don't care if he gets angry at some of your decisions, which will benefit him in the end. You son will soon be a teenager and want to be considered good-looking. If he keeps up the new eating and exercising behaviour, and you teach him some bathroom "free zone" etiquette (and which foods promote gas) he'll be more popular at school and that's really important to teens.
lovecoach@hotmail.com
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 9, 2012 D4
More Diversions
- Back to Top
- Return to Diversions
More Diversions
(1 of 14 articles for this week)
Tell your 'best friend' to try women his age
05/18/2013 1:00 AM 0DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: Driving to the lake two weeks ago, I was sitting in the back seat. My brother was ...
Poll
Most Popular Diversions
- Tell your 'best friend' to try women his age
- You need to vent and cry, then write a tough review
- Today's Horoscope
- Tread very carefully in foreign romantic waters
- Your praise made this nerd look like a stud
- US zoo looking into conception mystery after birth of anteater; no male in pen
- Hang on, McPuff; you're stepping over the line
- You're not blood relatives, but...
- There's more to the story than golf
- Deer crashes through windshield of US bus, runs around, jumps on seats and then gets let off
- Your praise made this nerd look like a stud
- Hang on, McPuff; you're stepping over the line
- There's more to the story than golf
- Tread very carefully in foreign romantic waters
- You're not blood relatives, but...
- You need to vent and cry, then write a tough review
- Tell your 'best friend' to try women his age
- Readers offer suggestions to keep the romance alive
- horoscope may 14
- US zoo looking into conception mystery after birth of anteater; no male in pen
- It was 'just' sex to him; he doesn't want you around
- This town ain't big enough for both girlfriends
- Cheating ex-boyfriend not worth the heartache
- Go back to see him again, but keep eyes, ears open
- Tell nasty Miss Slappy that it's over... for good
- Time to pack up your new boobs, say goodbye?
- If you love ballet so much, why focus on pole dancing? Miss Lonelyhearts
- He's keeping his cross-dressing life in the trunk
- Go back to the bar and see if you can find 'john'
- Ask your mother, but do it gently
- Durango, Colo., area couple gives up fight to keep catwalk for kitties to leave 2nd floor unit
- US zoo looking into conception mystery after birth of anteater; no male in pen
- Today's Horoscope
- Durango, Colo., area couple gives up fight to keep catwalk for kitties to leave 2nd floor unit
- Woman, 80 accidentally swallows $5,000 diamond at Tampa, Fla., charity event
- US zoo looking into conception mystery after birth of anteater; no male in pen
- When nature calls: Kansas woman enters bathroom at same time as escaped circus tiger
- Today's Horoscope
- Calgary Stampede releases midway treats, including deep-fried butter
- Haiku horoscopes
- Can't keep a good dog down: 2nd-time competitor Huckleberry wins 'Beautiful Bulldog' crown
- 2 pounds of loose skin removed from Obie, the formerly fat Oregon dog; lost 40 pounds on diet
- Ask your girlfriend to man up and level with you
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.