Tellin' people important stuff is hard.
"Mr. President, we're under attack."
"Your portfolio has lost 75% of its 2005 valuation."
"Russia has cut off our gas supply."
But when the news is good, there tends to be a reward for one's trouble.
"Wifey is pregnant. Eight weeks. Yeah, we weren't planning it. How do I feel? Overjoyed. A little concerned for her." People tend to get really excited about pregnancies.
I thought Scott's eyeballs were going to pop out of his head. There we were, standing in the dark, in the driveway of a client's home. It was really damn cold, but he couldn't wait any longer. Poor chap. I had been teasing him about it for nearly a month. "I kept calling it my "secret project." It was a great game, while it lasted. So there we were, and he's jumping up and down like some sort of marsupial. His reaction was priceless, and I will remember it with clarity for the rest of my life. "Uncle Scott." I love it.
Some people cried. I cried. My father had no idea what to say. To his credit, our common vocabulary has consisted mostly of microprocessors and video games for the last 16 years or so. I know he'll come around. He's going to make a great grandfather. My mother seemed intent on impressing upon me the idea of how much this child was going to change my life. I'm sure she's right: my life will forever be different, though probably in ways not exactly like those she experienced.
How we relate to people is one way in which Wifey and I are totally different. When something big happens in my life, I can't wait to tell everyone about it. Whether the event be blessed or damned, I have benefited greatly from evaluating the perceptions of others. My wife is more guarded, placing a greater value on her own inner process. We meet in the middle, and it's all good; but sometimes her brooding is hard to watch. This has been no exception. In the end, her rewards were immense. The warmth she received from her family poured over her like a warm summer rain. And as she sat there before me, drenched in spirit, I couldn't help but share her sentiment:
It's all going to be OK.
