Today as I sat in a booth at my coffee place I heard two people in the booth behind me talking, well it was more like arguing. They were not so loud that everyone was noticing them but they were loud enough that I could tell they were having more than a bit of difference.
I picked up they were arguing something about a car. Something to do with some work, or maintenance they must have recently had done. They seemed to be arguing about what day they had it done. Which I though a bit strange as really what day would that have mattered. I heard him say, "no it was last Tuesday I know cause I took the boys to school that day." She with a bit of attitude, countered, "no it was not Tuesday, I told you that, cause I drove the car that day, I know cause I remember as I went to the gym before going to work." The "discussion"-- continued.
As I sat there I was reminded of an aunt and uncle of mine. (They along with the two cousins I reference are all now deceased) When I was growing up I spent a lot of time at their house with their two sons, my cousins. Which by the way were two of the meanest/ ornery guys one would ever meet. One thing I remember about my aunt and uncle they seem to always argue. I even remember one argument they had when I was staying at their house. I was about thirteen years old, my two cousins and I came in the house from play (probably had been up to no good) and they were arguing. My folks were there at the time and they all were in the living room. Recently my aunt and uncle had gotten a new refrigerator I can still see it. Cromwell refrigerator. Little green insignia on the front of the door.
As I listened to their conversation they were in an argument about--now get this--- what day the refrigerator was delivered. "No it was not Monday" my aunt said. It was Tuesday. I have my hair done every Tuesday and I came back from the beauty parlor and they had not delivered yet." My uncle countered with, "No, it was Monday cause that's the day the feed was delivered from the mill and they came right after that was delivered." That was just round one. From there it got heated. Heated enough that finally my uncle got up from his chair and started walking to go outside. To which my aunt, "well just go on and walk on out, cause you know you're wrong." And he did, he went outside, walking to the barn.
Even as a thirteen year old kid I thought, "what difference does it make? You are going to argue and get upset over what day a stupid refrigerator was delivered.?"
Well years later I came to realize that their arguments weren't really over what "day something was done." There arguments were over...."I'm right and your wrong." Especially my aunt, she was never wrong.
How important is it really that one "has to always be right?" Well one day my aunt, she got to be right. She got to be always right. And by herself.
But she got to do it all alone. My uncle did a Charlie Pride, "Is Anybody Going to San Antonio?" They had been married a number of years but finally one argument too many and he had enough. One morning he left and never came back home.
"It ain't what you know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so."
Mark Twain
Having to always be right....can often come at an expense.
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May 1, 2017
Keep on,
Larry Adamson