- By Matthew P. Binkewicz
- Around Town
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Lansing's Advice Column
Dear IMO,
I recently got into an argument with my wife over something very important, cheese cloth. It sounds really dumb, and I know that I shouldn't have lost my patience, but I did. I was making a special cheese for a holiday treat. I had set out the cheese cloth the night before on the counter where I could easily find it in the morning. The next morning, I placed the ingredients in a pan on the stove and watched with delight as the mixture came to a boil. When I reached for the cheese cloth, I discovered that it wasn't there. I phoned my wife asking where she placed it. Well, I left a snotty message on her cell phone sarcastically wondering why she had an urge to clean the kitchen and hide the cheese cloth.
I found the cloth after a few minutes, but the message really upset my wife. But, I too, felt somehow upset that my wife did not ask whether I had placed the cloth on the counter for a reason. How can I/we avoid such foolish incidents in the future?
Sincerely,
A very good friend
Dear VGF,
If you are indeed a very good friend of mine and have been callous enough to upset your wife over cheese cloth, I can narrow down the culprit to nearly all of my male friends. In any relationship, communication is the key to success and happiness. Good communicators make good partners. Likewise, the lack of communication can cause disaster and pain and often leads to ruin.
Clearly, if you needed the cheese cloth, or the flash light, or the old jar of turpentine in a specific place, you should have told your wife, your kids, and even the cat of your wishes. I often leave things in odd places as does my wife for that special project sometime in the future. We try to keep the house in some semblance of order and often pick up after one another. Most times, if we need a certain something in a certain place, we let the other know of our intentions. In most cases, this simple communication eliminates a lot of unwanted stress and ill will. Take it from someone has had his own share of lost cheese cloth, let those you love know what you are doing. It will certainly make your life a lot happier and the cheese will taste so much better.
If you have a question or are looking for advice, please email IMO at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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