Got a New Relationship? Got Some Advice For You....

Greetings world, I'm back. It's been a minute and now I have returned.

Here's the scene...A group called "Story Corps" (You can find them on the google) is stopping by my town and this is their biz. "Biz" is the term we in the 'business' use to refer to THE 'business'. They pull a shiny, Airstream trailer full of audio recording gear and they take reservations of sorts for people to come into the trailer after they park it in a high-vis area to record themselves. I talked to their marketing and PR folk and they were very nice. They told me the point of this exercise was to record what people are thinking about and talking about in 2008. People can talk about anything. How they are feeling, they can bring a loved one or friend into the booth and they can interview each other. Family can reserve the booth and they can spend their time telling each other how much they mean to them. When the customers are done they are asked to sign a form that allows the Story Corps folks the ability to archive the sound clips in the Library of Congress and they run off a CD copy for the customer so they can send it to friends or archive it for themselves. I got to thinking what I would possibly have to talk about if I were to schedule a block of time for myself to head in there to share a bit of my mind. A couple of thing came to mind: could I come up with something profound enough to help out future generations or could I adlib something to make the future laugh?
Thought all day and I was cleaning up after dinner, with Mandy in the living room watching The Break-Up with Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. Then it hit me. My bit of advice would have to be relationship advice because I'm thinking about them enough to think I have enough insight to dispense something, someone can use.

Here it goes: "Never expect anything from your partner."

Seriously, don't. The instant you start expecting something, you lose and you'll be let down. Instead earn everything you get from you significant other. For example, if I would expect Mandy to cook for me everyday. The first time she doesn't, my feelings would be hurt and our relationship could go from there to over really quick. But, if I'm genuinely thankful for her and her desire to show me love by fixing me some dinner than I'll; one, always be grateful, regardless of the dish-two, I'll treat her tenderly and thank her with words and actions for her sacrifice of time and effort to prepare dinner.

It is important to reciprocate to your other half with words and actions. Words without actions mean nothing. Thankful actions would be me cleaning the kitchen after she cooks dinner as a thank you. But if we 'assigned' jobs to each other it takes the thanks out of our actions. Keep things spontaneous and fresh by throwing each other curve-balls to show each other just how lucky you both are...because honestly...why are you together if you aren't blessed to have each other...WINK***


-WP