Subject: Why retirement is hard on men
>
>
> It is important for men to remember, that as women
> grow older it becomes  harder for them to maintain
> the
> same quality of housekeeping as when  they were
> younger. When you notice this, try not to yell at
> them. Some are oversensitive and there's nothing
> worse
> than an oversensitive woman.
>
> My name is Jim..... Let me relate how I handled the
> situation with my  wife, Julie.
>
> When I took "early retirement" last year, it became
> necessary for Julie to get a full-time job, both for
> extra income and for the health benefits that we
> needed. Shortly after she started working I noticed
> she
> was beginning to show her age.
>
> I usually get home from the Golf Course about the
> same
> time she gets home from work. Although she knows how
> hungry I am, she almost always says she has to rest
> for half an hour or so before she starts dinner. I
> don't yell at her. Instead, I tell her to take her
> time and just wake me when she gets dinner on the
> table.
> I generally have lunch in the Men's Grill at the
> club
> so eating out is  not reasonable. I'm ready for some
> home cooked grub when I hit that door...
>
> She used to do the dishes as soon as we finished
> eating. But now, it's not unusual for them to sit on
> the table for several hours after dinner.  I do what
> I
> can by diplomatically reminding her several times
> each
> evening that they won't clean themselves. I know she
> appreciates this,  as it does seem to motivate her
> to
> get them done before she goes to bed.
>
> I really think my experience as a teacher helps a
> lot.
> I consider telling people what they ought to do;
> it's
> one of my strong points...
>
> Now that she has gotten older, she does seem to get
> tired so much more quickly. Our washer and dryer are
> in the basement. Sometimes she says she just can't
> make another trip down those steps. I don't make a
> big
> issue of this; as long as she finishes up the
> laundry
> the next evening, I'm willing! to overlook it. Not
> only that, but unless I need something ironed to
> wear
> to the Monday lodge meeting, or to Wednesday's or
> Saturday's poker club, or to Tuesday's or Thursday's
> bowling, or something like that, I will tell her to
> wait until the next evening to do the ironing.. This
> gives her a little more time to do some of those
> odds
> and ends like shampooing the dog, vacuuming or
> dusting...
>
> Also, if I had a really good day on the course and
> it
> was wet and muddy,  my clubs are a mess, so I let
> her
> clean them, you know.....get the grit off the grips
> and a little light Brillo on the club faces at a
> casual
> pace. My golf bag is heavy so I lift it out of the
> trunk for her. Women are delicate, have weak wrists
> and can't lift heavy stuff as good as men But I did
> tell her I don't like to be wakened during my
> after-golf
> nap, so rather than bother me, she can put them back
> in the trunk when she's finished.
>
> Another symptom of aging is comp! laining, I think.
> For example, she will say that it is difficult for
> her
> to find time to pay the monthly bills during her
> lunch
> hour. But boys, we take em for better or worse, so I
> just smile and offer encouragement. I tell her to
> stretch it out over two or even three days. That way
> she won't have to rush so much.
>
> I also remind her that missing lunch completely now
> and then wouldn't  hurt her any (if you know what I
> mean). I like to think tact is one of  my strong
> points.
>
> When doing simple jobs, she seems to think she needs
> more rest periods.   She had to take a break when
> she
> was only half finished mowing the yard.  I try not
> to
> make a scene. I'm a fair man. I tell her to fix
> herself a
> nice, big, cold glass of freshly squeezed lemonade
> and
> just sit for a  while. And, as long as she is making
> one for herself, she may as well  make one for me
> too,
> and then take her break by my hammock. That way she
> can talk with me until I fall asleep.   I know that
> I
> probably look like a saint in the way I support
> Julie.
> I'm
> not saying that showing this much consideration is
> easy. Many men will  find it difficult. Some will
> find
> it impossible! Nobody knows better  than I do how
> frustrating women get as they get older.
>
> However, guys, even if you just use a little more
> tact
> and less  criticism of your aging wife because of
> this
> article, I will consider  that writing it was well
> worthwhile. After all, we are put on this earth  to
> help each other...
>
> Signed,
> Jim
>
> EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim died suddenly Thursday Feb.3. He
> was found with a  Calloway extra long 50 inch Big
> Bertha Driver II rammed up his posterior, with only
> 2
> inches of grip showing.. His wife Julie was
> arrested, but the all-woman Grand Jury accepted her
> defense that he accidentally sat on it, and died
>
>
>
>
> The only difference between a rut and a grave...is
> the depth!
>