Saturday, March 13, 2010

Thinking - Man vs Woman

A little story we discussed on a Saturday nite gathering that shows the essential differences between a man and a woman. Don't know the origin…!!! Please read it unbiased - No offenses to any gender.. !!! It just a 3rd dimension view.

Let's say a guy named Rudy is attracted to a woman named Angela. He asks her out to a movie. She accepts, they have a pretty good time. A few nights later he asks her out to dinner, and again they enjoy themselves. They continue to see each other regularly.


And then, one evening when they're driving home, a thought occurs to Angela, and without really thinking, she says it: "Do you realize that, as of tonight, we've been seeing each other for exactly six months?

And then there is silence in the car. To Angela, it seems like a very loud silence. She thinks to herself: Geezz, I wonder if it bothers him that I said that. Maybe he's been feeling confined by our relationship, maybe he thinks I'm trying to push him into some kind of obligation that he doesn't want, or isn't sure of.

And Rudy is thinking: Wohhh. Six months.
And Angela is thinking: But hey, I'm not so sure I want this kind of relationship either. Sometimes I wish I had a little more space, so I'd have time to think about whether I really want us to keep going the way we are, moving steadily toward. I mean, where are we going? Are we heading towards a marriage? Towards children? Towards a lifetime together? Am I ready for that level of commitment? Do I really even know this person?

And Rudy is thinking: So that means it was…. let's see.. February when we started going out, which was right after I had the car at the dealer's, which means… lemme check the odometer… Wohhh..! I am way overdue for an oil change.
And Angela is thinking: He's upset. I can see it on his face. Maybe I'm reading this completely wrong. Maybe he wants more from our relationship, more intimacy, more commitment. Maybe he has sensed even before I sensed it. Yes, I bet that's it. That's why he's so reluctant to say anything about his own feelings. He's afraid of being rejected.

And Rudy is thinking: And I'm gonna have them look at this transmission again. It's still not shifting right. And they better not try to blame it on the cold weather this time. It's 28 degrees celsius out, and this thing is shifting like a garbage truck, and I paid them a huge amount.
And Angela is thinking: He's angry. And I don't blame him. I'd be angry, too. I feel so guilty, putting him through this, but I can't help the way I feel. I'm just not sure.

And Rudy is thinking: They'll probably say it's only a limited warranty. Crap..That's exactly what they're going to say.
And Angela is thinking: Maybe I'm just too idealistic, waiting for a ‘prince charming’ to come riding up on his ‘white horse’. When here I'm, sitting right next to a perfectly good person, a person I enjoy being with, a person I truly do care about, a person who also seems to truly care about me. And I put him in pain because of my self-centered, schoolgirl romantic fantasy.

And Rudy is thinking: Warranty? They want a warranty? I'll give them a warranty. I'll take their warranty and stick it right up their ......  I’m the customer, I will teach them their basic lesson - “Customer is always Right”. Ok, I’m ready for this..


Angela says aloud - “Rudyyy”.
"Ughh.. What? Tell me" says Rudy, looking shocked.
"Please don't torture yourself like this," she says,  "Maybe I should never have.” her eyes are slowly filling up with tears. 

Rudy says - “Huh, What?”
"I'm such a fool," Angela sobs. "I mean, I know there's no prince charming. I really know that. It's silly. There's no prince, and there's no horse." 
Rudy says - "Huh.. There's no H-O-R-S-E ?"

"You think I'm a fool, don't you?" Angela says.
"No no no.. !!" says Rudy

Angela says - "It's just that . . . I need some time”
(There is a 10-second pause while Rudy, thinking as fast as he can, tries to come up with a safe response. Finally he comes up with one that he thinks might work.)
"Hmm.. Yes," he says.
"Oh, Rudy, do you really feel that way?" she says.
(Rudy is again confused thinking he answered that one wrong)  He says  - “Wa.. What way ?”.
Angela says - "That way about ‘time’, that I need some time"
"Oh, yaa, yes yes, I think you should" says Rudy.
(Angela turns to face him and gazes deeply into his eyes, causing him to become very nervous about what she might say next, especially if it involves a h-o-r-s-e,    he is doomed again..)
She says - "Thank you, Rudy..!!" 
"Thank you.." says Rudy.

Then he takes her home. Angela goes straight to her restroom and then on her bed. A disturbed and conflicted soul, and weeps until dawn. Whereas when Rudy gets back home, he opens a packet of Lays (I love that stuff ehh..), fires up the  internet on his Laptop, and immediately becomes deeply involved on mails/news/twitter/online friends. A tiny voice in his mind tells him that something major was going on back there in the car, but he is pretty sure there is no way he would ever understand what, and so he figures it's better if he doesn't think about it.

The next day Angela will call her best friend, or maybe two of them, and they will come over and talk about this situation for six to seven straight hours, probably over an icecream bucket and lot of tissue papers. In all detail, they will analyze everything ‘she said’ and everything ‘he said’, going over it time and time again, exploring every word, expression, and gesture and meanings, considering every possible ramification. They will continue to discuss this subject, off and on, for weeks, maybe months, never reaching any definite conclusions, but never getting bored with it, either.

Meanwhile one day, Rudy, while meeting up with a mutual friend of his and Angela’s, will pause just and say:
"Raj, Did Angela ever own a horse?"

:) Hope you enjoyed the view…. Wanna think a bit next time you fall into a similar situation. Thinking of 2 people could be way different.