Lack of Communications

I remember years ago, before I was married or had kids, I was at a Party Lite party at a friend's house.  I remember her jokingly saying that she and her husband never talk or communicate.  Messages just get passed back and forth and information is rarely shared.  I thought that sounded so strange.  How do you not talk to your husband?  Little did I know that it is so true!  Charlie and I never talk.  We miss messages all the time.  Emails and phone calls at work are the only time we talk.  And even that gets screwed up.  Last week, I told him I have a new project at U of I.  He assumed University of Indianapolis.  I corrected him and told him University of Illinois.  Tuesday, I emailed him and said I was going to U of I on Thursday.  Last night, I mentioned my trip to Champaign.  He looked at me and said "I didn't know you were going to Champaign today".  I actually pulled the email up and proved that I told him and that he doesn't listen.  Laci is going to a birthday party Saturday.  Charlie claims I never told him.  I am pretty sure I did.  Plus, the invitation is posted on the bulletin board and the calendar says "A's birthday".  Again, proof he doesn't pay attention to anything in the house!

We had a similar communication lapse Wednesday night.  We had a rare Wednesday night family dinner.  That thing happened when one person is talking about one thing and the other person is talking about something else and it takes a few minutes to realize that you are having two conversations and not talking about the same thing.  I finally said "Stop, we are both talking about two different things.  What are you talking about?"  Laci looked at us and said "You really need to start listening to each other."   Duh - good reminder.  We need to do that.