Jaclyn and Heidi,
We have been on the road for six weeks and my wife is driving me nuts. She has always been loving, kind, and hardworking but living together in the van has made me notice how slow she is at everything. For most of the 35 years we have been married, I have gone out to work and so didn’t worry about the domestic duties too much. However, I can now see how poorly things are done. I try to bite my tongue but sometimes I can’t stop myself from telling Helena how she would be better off drying up this way, or making the tea that way, or adding the sauce at this point instead of that. She doesn’t seem to appreciate my comments but, if I can help her do things more efficiently, surely she should be grateful.
Eric
I think it is wonderful you are finally taking an interest in what happens in the kitchen and you can probably appreciate a little better how much work Helena has had to get through over the past few decades. Please remember that it will be extra stressful for her now cooking in cramped quarters … and you peering over her shoulder throwing in the odd word of wisdom probably isn’t helping. I appreciate you are keen to help and I am sure you have some good ideas but I suspect your wife is more than capable of running the kitchen successfully. Try to think about her feelings, Eric.
Jaclyn
Welcome to my world, Eric. It is a sad fact that the planet is populated largely by slow, inept and inefficient fools. The fact that it has taken you just a few weeks to work out ways to make your wife’s domestic chores easier for her after she has been struggling along for 35 years just proves the point. And then she has got the gall to be unappreciative of your advice! Sounds like you could have done better, Eric. In the short term, the best I can suggest is that you try not to watch her as she works. Perhaps you can read a book, watch TV, or take a walk while she cooks, washes up and makes your tea. Try to be patient. Not everyone’s as clever as we are, Eric.
Heidi
