Perry and I probably could not be more different politically speaking, but he is correct, and this is not some wild stretch.
Anyone who has followed Ben’s blog with any regularity knows that what Perry posted is an ongoing theme over there. Anecdotal story after anecdotal story, about big dumb lug, who can’t say no the wife. In my 16 years of marriage (started at 22), my wife wins most every battle, because, frankly, I just don’t care about that much.
However I had to basically tell her a few times to “sit down and shut up” as regards her nesting instinct. (We moved here two years ago).
Now when I say “sit down and shut up” I don’t mean it literally, as she’d probably kick my ass. (she does crossfit with some navy seal dude). What I meant was a continual education process about just how stupid a mistake it would be to purchase, and eventually she trusted my stubborness.
She also sees the emotional side of a home more than I though many on this site do not fit that stereotype. We had to eat about 9K when I sold my house in Ohio (Nov. 2005) and at closing I had to sell some stock to pay the note. I was hoping to hold onto that stock for the long term but it was the only non retirement account investment that I had.
I hurt her feelings by saying something along the lines of “buying that house was the absolute stupidest thing I have ever done”. Of course I loved that house too, but I was just bitter about losing my only real asset. She saw it as her dream home (still pissed at me for moving us out here), where the kids had so many great memories, and in the case of our youngest it’s the only other home he remembers outside of the crapbox we rent now.
