The Womb Is Not a Homing Device

Well into my marriage, one of my favorite questions for my wife was: "Where's my (you fill in the blank)?" Where's my book? Where are my shirts? You name it. She could remember where it was, whatever and wherever it happened to be.

Unconciously, I realized that among my wife, Jeannette's many, galactically fine qualities, was her ability to remember details with exquisite exactitude. And she had the navigational capabilities of a pidgeon. I've often said that I could drop her in the middle of Antartica, without food, water, clothing, and firemaking stuff, and she'd be back home perfectly fine within a week.

We'd could go places, and instantly, she'd remember the way in detail, including all the routes, sub routes, left turns, right turns, and straightaways, you name it. This has never ceased to impress and leave me, the navigationally challenged half of our team, in awe.

Over time, she grew understandably tired with my where's-my questions, and one morning, abruptly brought it to a halt. Well, mostly. One morning, as I rushed to get to work, I was in a dither and asked her where my wallet was. I'd forgotten that I'd laid it down the night before on an end table in the living room.

No response. I asked again. Again, no response. Then, the words came forth from her like some Delphic Oracle speaking to me. "The womb," she said, "is not a homing device."

I bristled, but knew in my heart of hearts, that my "where's my" questions would henceforth fall on deaf ears.

Am I totally free today, of the "where's my" habit? Honestly, no. But I've known for years that this kind of question is for true emergencies, and only after I've spent time hunting down my lost items myself.

Hank

The Women Are Coming. The Women Are Coming.

Back some years ago, I enjoyed the movie, "The Russians Are Coming. The Russians Are Coming," a funny spoof on our fears of communists. Today, one could make a movie titled "The Women Are Coming. The Women Are Coming."



And there's no doubt they're coming on strong. Unless you haven't watched or read the news in the last five years, the sobering fact is that women are out educating, out employing, and out earning us guys in mega large numbers.



Which means, that if you're working, the chances are getting better and better that your next boss could well be a savvy, well-educated, well paid woman, who brings to the executive suite powerful capabilities that you'll need to pay close attention to.



Should you be sharpening your communications skils to give and take with these representatives of the female culture? I know what I think. What about you?



Hank

Why Don't Men Listen to Women?

As I've worked with women over the years, the refrain that keeps coming back is: Men don't listen to them. In fact, many men, though not all, discount what women have to say. How often I've listened to female executives tell me that they suggest things in meetings, and men ignore their suggestions only to react positively to the same suggstions when men voice them.

What's difficult about listening to women? Is it because they use too many words? They're known to use more words than men? Is it because of gender bias. Where's the blockage coming from?

Hank