Listening like a man...

A word of advice for all my male friends. And females should also know this if they don't. Men and women hear things differently. It is not a conspiracy, nor an evil intent. We are just geared to hear the onset of problems in a different way. Men hear a problem as a request for a solution, so we can step in and make it right (Thereby maintaing out place as HERO of the relationship). Women hear a problem as a request for confirmation of emotions. Men want to solve this and move on to more hunting and gathering. Women want to process so they are sure that all the bases are covered, and everyone involved has been thought of. This last part is what drives men nuts. We are not processors, we have not a cuisinart mindset, we are machetes. We cut through problems to the clearing on the other side where we can sit naked and eat lunch. Women are checking to make sure none of the plants are poisonous, and perhaps some of them are salad worthy. You can ask Mother Pockets, there are more than a few times. when she started to tell me of a problem I would ask, "Do you want me to listen as a man or a woman?" She knows it doesn't include my wardrobe or how I cross my legs. (Well, sometimes, but let's not go there for the moment). Remember men, if you want her to understand you, then you have to understand what she is hearing also.