Dear Jaclyn and Heidi,
I am over it! My wife and I are six weeks into the trip that I’ve dreamed about all my life … and TV is tearing us apart. Marg was always one for the ‘goggle box’, but somehow it didn’t seem quite as ‘silly’ when we were at home. Here we are in the Kimberley … in paradise … and all she wants to do is watch the Block and Masterchef and House Rules. Most evenings, I sit under the awning drinking a glass of wine on my own with the cackle of electronic voices coming from the van. I am getting resentful and angry. Doesn’t Marg want to enjoy the sunsets and the stillness of the Outback? She’s even bought a gizmo that allows her to watch the TV in super-remote locations. Help!
Mick
Interesting that you said it’s a trip “that I’ve dreamed about all my life”. No mention there of the trip you both dreamed of taking. Have you ever considered that Marg never wanted to leave home, and was happy being close to family and friends, and to the shops and shows and everything else that life in the suburbs delivers. Maybe she only took this trip to please you … and she deserves some credit for that. One of the biggest causes of grey nomad lifestyle disappointment is a lack of communication between couples, and an inability to compromise and to adapt to life on the road. Think about her feelings. Why don’t you take an interest in Masterchef and then, on other evenings, she might join you under the awning or around the campfire.
Jaclyn
Okay, Mick. The Kimberley is no place to watch the Block, Masterchef or even Neighbours. But each to their own. You don’t say if Marg is happy but I suspect she’d have a better chance of being so if you weren’t constantly seething and getting sozzled under the awning. Stop looking for excuses or people to blame, Mick. You’re a grown man living your dream, so stop whingeing … and start enjoying. Don’t sit on your own … make new friends. Don’t get angry with Marg for not enjoying the sunsets or the stillness … enjoy them yourself. Who knows … if Marg saw you actually enjoyed these things, she might want to give them a go, as well. If you can’t crack a smile, at least let Marg watch the telly so someone there gets some pleasure.
Heidi
