Freudian Slip


Direct Answers - Column for the week of November 17, 2003

My dilemma is this. I've been going out with my boyfriend for five months. He is a very loving and romantic guy and would do basically anything for me. But the other night we were making love, and he said a friend's name instead of mine.

Now this girl isn't particularly good-looking, she's quite small, her eyes are funny looking, and her teeth are all over her mouth. Basically she looks like a caveman. Nonetheless it still hurt me, and I pushed him away.

He tried to explain he had been out with friends he hadn't seen in ages and met up with her. He said he was supposed to ask me to do something for her, and that's why he said her name. I wouldn't listen to him. I tried to go to sleep while he kept asking me to talk to him.

I find myself thinking more and more about this situation. I'm not answering his phone calls or e-mails or anything. I do love him, but now I'm questioning whether he really loves me or has he got a thing for his unattractive friend.

Trudy

Trudy, everyone misspeaks at times. Parents often call one child by another child's name, and all of us stumble with a name or song title on the tip of our tongue. Ask most people what you put in a toaster, and they say toast, not bread. Ask what cows drink, and people often say milk, not water.

Sometimes, however, feelings come out in embarrassing ways. If you made cruel remarks about his friend's appearance, that could be enough to bring her to mind. Physical beauty is not an accomplishment but an accident of nature. Being a person of interest and value, however, is an expression of self and no accident.

Men don't take catty remarks well. They find them nasty not amusing. It could be your boyfriend was returning an emotional injury you gave him in slighting her, but one instance means nothing. If you are adding value to this, your reaction says more about you than your boyfriend's misspeaking.

Tamara

Cold Heart

My ex-boyfriend and I broke up a few months ago, but we agreed to stay friends. He went away for a month soon after, and we e-mailed a few times. When he returned, I spoke with him on the phone once. Later I e-mailed him, and he said maybe we could meet as friends.

I replied it might feel awkward meeting up so soon because I still had strong feelings for him. I didn't get a reply. Some days later I sent a text message saying if he wants to meet for a chat, let me know. Again I got no reply.

He replied a few days later saying he'd been busy and both his parents were ill. A week later I e-mailed saying if he wants to meet for a chat, we probably had enough space now. I didn't get a reply for a week. I was so angry I sent him a message saying since he doesn't want to stay in touch, so much for us being friends. Goodbye.

He replied that his dad died the previous week. However one of my friends told me that his dad being ill and dying is no excuse for him not staying in touch. Another friend agreed that the dad dying is no excuse either. Should I expect an ex who's now a friend to treat me no different than any other friend?

Maryanne

Maryanne, in the real world, the death of a parent is a good excuse for not keeping in touch. If you are as insensitive and callous as your friends, this might be the reason you broke up in the first place. The truth is your contact with him is based on a lie. You don't want to be friends. You want him back.

Wayne

About The Author

Authors and columnists Wayne and Tamara Mitchell can be reached at www.WayneAndTamara.com" target="_new">www.WayneAndTamara.com.

Send letters to: Direct Answers, PO Box 964, Springfield, MO 65801 or email: DirectAnswers@WayneAndTamara.com.


MORE RESOURCES:

"Former Radio One COO, Mary Catherine Sneed, Joins Light Media"
MarketWatch (press release)
6, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Light Media (otc markets:LGMH), Inspirational Media Specialist, announced today that Mary Catherine Sneed, a leading radio industry catalyst and pioneer, has joined its team. Recognized by RadioInk Magazine as one of ...



Toledo Blade

FAITH: Feb. 4
Wicked Local
Listen to his inspirational talk on life's journey and how we can change our destination with hope and faith. Check him out at vincenteramo.com. For more information, call the church office at 508-746-1642. Parents, grandparents and caregivers are ...
Faith BriefsMuncie Star Press

all 43 news articles »


A Dude's Guide to Pinterest
Philadelphia Magazine (blog)
Initial poking around on the site revealed lots of wedding planning foofery, a miasma of nursery schematics, lots of treacly/earnest inspirational postery things, and like a bajillion pairs of handcrafted earrings. (A search for “Pinterest” on ...

and more »


New Straits Times

No soaring inspirational rhetoric but a pragmatic plan to address America's ...
New Straits Times
For it is so ordained, that "he shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient". The phrasing of that one sentence is ...

and more »


Will Zuckerberg's IPO letter be as inspiring as Larry Page's?
ZDNet (blog)
Just 90 minutes to try and find and write the best news stories, looking at the same information that thousands of journalists were looking at. Our job was made tougher because our US competition had far more time, the Wall Street Journal and the New ...

and more »


Inspiring Voices Contest Provides Authors a Rewarding Opportunity to Get Published
PR Web (press release)
For more information about self-publishing opportunities with Inspiring Voices, please visit: http://www.inspiringvoices.com. Inspiring Voices, a service of Guideposts, is dedicated to helping authors share their words of hope, faith and inspiration ...

and more »


San Francisco Conference observations: Enterprise transformation, enterprise ...
ZDNet (blog)
The power of ubiquitous technology to transform the enterprise was the theme of the inspirational plenary presentation given by Andy Mulholland, Global CTO and Corporate Vice President at Capgemini. Mobility, the cloud, and big data are the three ...

and more »


Around Your Town: 02/06/12
Sierra Vista Herald
For more information, contact Aaron at 378-9330 or info@cochisecountyvva.org. The American Red Cross will host a blood drive from 10 am to 3 pm Feb. 7 at the Center for Academic Success, 900 Carmelita Dr. To Schedule an appointment, call 439-3528.

and more »


Brave Amarni's life at risk from bugs
Halifax Evening Courier
The inspirational four-year-old has been diagnosed with a severe form of aplastic anaemia, a blood disease that affects only one or two people in every million. Amarni's bone marrow produces no white or red blood cells and no platelets, ...



Rome Indoor Run/Walk raises $25343
Utica Observer Dispatch
*Inspirational Honoree, Russell Arant, a 35-year-old Rome resident and director of Surgical Services at Rome Memorial Hospital told his story during the opening ceremony about his open heart surgery in October 2010. During an annual physical, ...
Rome Free Academy hosts Indoor Run/Walk eventThe Rome Observer

all 3 news articles »

Google News

lincolnhsbrooklyn.com ©