Howdy,
Here’s a wonder … to a man.
To a man, as in to a guy, his brain, his wiring: and as in to each of us firing that way.
To a man on a mission, it’s a wonder to see a woman on a wander.
Recently, my lovely wife Sarah (wonder woman in this case) was scrolling a significant online sale from a store she likes, that intrigues her even. A place she happens to have some gift card money to, ready for use, growing cold, stale in its stash.
Gifts from me. Money for the mission, ammunition for the hunt.
Honestly, I was thinking more hunt than mission; I was drawn in thinking we could get something.
Definitely the hunt more so than the mission, because it was the wonderful woman who had deployed herself, logged into the mission, without me: only she was wandering.
Which put me on the hunt. Practically forced me. The scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling … The 25% discount — off of clearance! An extra 25% off. With money already budgeted, already paid for!! The scent of an accomplishment, of a kill that could be, should be, made.
Nope.
Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling …
Him: “Have you found anything?”
Her: “Not yet …”
Standby.
Reading in bed beside her, sneaking peeks, distracted. By the scrolling …
“Anything to get?”
“Lots of neat stuff, but I’m not seeing anything for me so far.”
Standby.
Hey, I’m not complaining that it can be a challenge to get my shopping wife to spend money — That’s quite the deal! — but what’s creeping up on me as an insight is how the natural saver in me gets devoured by the crouching tiger instinct twitching whiskers at a succulent clearance-catch streaming by and slipping free without any biting, ah, buying.
Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling …
“You’ve got money,” I say. “It’d be good to get a deal.”
“Yeah … cute, but nothing to buy.” She says, “I’m enjoying just looking.”
“But I feel like now I’m on a mission: gotta get something. Stretch that gift card, get something nice. I’m laying here knowing it’s not even my thing, but I’m feeling my man-ness stalking to solve a mission, and you’re, you’re a woman wandering …”
Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling …
It’s a wonder, a woman wandering — setting out and just enjoying the scroll.
—Billy
Reading. Writing. Living.