By Sherry Hopkins

Community Columnistt

I decided for some unknown reason to give Dear Don a break from all the sage wisdom I offer to him on a daily basis. Sometimes I dole out things moment by moment.

Lord only knows how grateful he was for the reprieve. I vowed right in the kitchen to stop telling him what to do and how to do it for 24 hours.

Tha, t m, dear readers, lasted about nine minutes. I almost instantaneously forgot the vow and had to restart after much apologies were offered up.

I restarted a number of times until I finally tired of having to grovel for forgiveness. All the while Dear Don and his sweet temperament allowing me to grovel at will.

What would make one think he was enjoying this? How lucky of him to be the beneficiary of my guilt. How nice to have the silence from the constant chatter coming from the one he loves and tolerates at alarming levels.

After each apology and yet another vow to remain silent and refrain from the unwanted advice I also added the caveat that I was going to take notes and would at the end of what was turning into a fiasco remind him of all the things that I felt needed his attention.

On most days, if not all, he rolls his eyes when I start my why don’t you or you should or have you thought about this speeches. He knows the drill and also has learned over nearly four decades that if he remains compliant or merely looks as though he is listening I will eventually shut up and move on.

Never soon enough for Dear ol Don I’m sure.

I never took notes to his relief and in time my silence had been curbed long enough and we both forgot the vow.

I have to admit that I portion out waaaay tooo much unsolicited advice. Who do I think I am anyway? Giving words of know-how to him when he has obviously made it thus far without them. He doesn’t need me. Well, he does need me, but not so much for that. I am his lifelong companion for Pete’s sake. That has to count for something and should give me some type of leeway in this matter.

But, I will begrudgingly admit that I can be a bit much and I’m sure I often drive him clear up the wall.

I would like to add that while he is up that wall he may consider dusting the crown molding. But I don’t push it and I do try to zip it. He would vehemently disagree with the last statement. But he has no idea how many times in a day I do NOT offer advice.

So perhaps I will rethink my own importance and my own capacity for wisdom. Maybe I’m not as smart as I think that I am. Could that be possible? Wow, that is a bit of eye opening comeuppance and it didn’t even come from a Dear Don eye roll.

So in the future I will try very hard to refrain from prattling on and Dear Don will not feel compelled to stand and listen to me.

I can do better I feel. Now I hear him in the kitchen and I need to go see what he is doing. Surely I can help him be more efficient in whatever task he is trying to accomplish. That is not the same thing as giving unwanted advice. Is it?

Stay tuned!

You can contact Sherry at 662.563.2525 or swhcsc@wildblue.net