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Overheard - contributed by jodiner on 08/27/2007One Man's House Is Another Man's RainbowWoman 1: All he does is look at the house. Woman 2: Why? Woman 1: He says, relaxes him. Woman 2: (nods) Woman 1: My husband relaxes standing in the street staring at our house. Woman 2: What about the cars? Woman 1: Huh? Woman 2: The cars in the street, where Jack stands? Woman 1: They seem to avoid him. Unfortunately. B-Take: We've noticed this phenomenon in our neighborhood. Guys standing outside their houses a lot just kind of staring. At the house, the new porch they had built a year ago, the roof, a pile of leaves. We don't know for sure what they're staring at. But it's clear they get genuine pleasure out of it. We asked a few psychologists in our area what they made of this behavior -- normal guys seeming to stare rapturously and pointlessly at their properties -- and the shrinks all said, basically, many men in the burbs at some point start to "personally identify" with their houses, lawns, the things that make up their suburban homestead. We refer to it as "suburban stupid," a term which has not yet reached the AMA or APA medical handbooks but which we hope, fairly soon, will. Truthfully, we don't care too much whether some of our neighbors do this. In a way, we wish we could feel so "connected" and "loving" toward our properties. Thing is (apart from the fact that we think it's silly, sometimes bordering on scary-disturbing investing so much emotion in one's house) . . . when we look at our "homestead" we see basically a place that needs a new paint job (way too much peeling yellow paint that used to be white). We see a splintering deck that may not last through the summer. We see a lawn that's got way too much dirt and not nearly enough grass. And a roof that hasn't been replaced in 20 years and, in the next rain storm, might well turn our bedrooms into aquariums. We like our house, it's reasonably comfortable, but we don't want to look at it too long or carefully -- or, rather than ecstasy or relaxation, we're likely to feel depressed, and find ourselves having to spend too much of the rest of our lives fixing it (or paying someone else to fix it). ...overhear more --Overheard in: Whole Foods Cafe, outside Boston--   They're semi-retarded. It's - submitted by craziness on 06/07/2007
They're semi-retarded. It's to avoid deal with real things like your kids, your wife, fact that you're a social mess. What's the phrase? Stone in - submitted by Anonymous on 06/07/2007
What's the phrase? Stone in glass houses? Get a grip ladies perfect! my life - submitted by frustrated on 06/07/2007
perfect! my life Maybe if our women were more - submitted by aguyok on 06/07/2007
Maybe if our women were more fun and less irritating, we'd want to spend more time with them. Look in the mirror ladies, then you'll know why a lot of would rather stare at our house. I think these kinds of men - submitted by Anonymous on 06/15/2007
I think these kinds of men are avoiding things. They obsess about their lawns, how their gardens look compared to others, it's craziness. We have a nice house but my husband can't stop thinking about how to improve it. Really he needs to grow up. There's nothing wrong with - submitted by knwoingit on 06/15/2007
There's nothing wrong with appreciating what we have. But some men take it too far. It's a driveway, ya know? It's a door and windows? It's similar to cars. Everybody wants a nice car. Not just a nice one, something better, as if having a gtreat car or a great house makes them better men. I agree, these guys haven't grown up enough, they're too insecure about themselves so they need material things to boost them. But the more material things they get the more unfulfilled they are. It's cliche but it's true, believe me. I live with a man who does this and he refuses to admit it! Appreciating the things you - submitted by Anonymous on 06/15/2007
Appreciating the things you create is a beautiful thing. fixing your house is a great way to get some excersise, and increase the value of your property. Another thing is that if your spouse isnt lazy or disabled it can be a great way to spend time together doing something other then eating, drinking fighting, or sleeping. I say build away and have fun doing it. thank god we are not women - submitted by Anonymous on 06/15/2007
When a woman looks at a house, they see a box surrounded by grass. When a man looks at a house, he sees the time it took to build it, the lines, he can see all the activity that went on during the construction, he sees beyond the box. A woman sees a box, a man sees creation and accomplishment. But I guess that when you are a gender that would rather have the house given to them, and not the gender that loves to build, you don't see the beauty in a house or it's surroundings. So what mind would you rather have, the under developed mind that can only see the box, or the mind that sees beyond the box, and into creation. obsessing with home - submitted by jim on 06/15/2007
Most people are obsessed with something. My wife is fanatical about cleanliness inside the house. It has to be just "so". I obsess with the outside of the house. put out more often - submitted by Anonymous on 06/15/2007
and we'll stop looking at the house. absession - submitted by Anonymous on 06/15/2007
Why do you women complain about the men looking and liking what they see their house. Women tend to put all sorts of pretty things inside the house and fuss about it to no end but you don't hear men compaining about it. Men like the outside and women like the inside. Case closed Of couse we stare at our - submitted by Anonymous on 06/15/2007
Of couse we stare at our houses... get a grip! 10,000 years ago it would have been all about successful hunting and gathering, but now we have grocery stores. The fact is, we did it for you, ladies, and you basically don't give a damn, but would be the first to let us know if your living space wasn't "perfect," and what would make it imperfect?; if you thought your friends didn't admire it. It's all quite normal, and quite OK. Men may be the cars, but women are the gas. Women - submitted by Anonymous on 06/16/2007
Women will go pyshco on you if you use the guest towels because everything has to be perfect on the inside just in case their friend Susan comes over because she always judges you on the house. So there is now way that women can say anything about men. Ladies, we all know you - submitted by Anonymous on 06/16/2007
Ladies, we all know you stare at your new drapes, kitchen cabinets, the new wall color in your dining room or whatever else in your home pleases you. Give us a break, I really enjoy fixing up our house, doing it on any free occasion, looking constantly for something else to improve. Doesn't that sound better than the latter,? sitting on the couch watching sports or out playing golf? Talk about something else?...please! Sexist - submitted by Anonymous on 06/16/2007
All of you sound very sexist and quite frankly it is disgusting. Whether you are talking about men or women, why is there a need to stereotype their behavior? Especially the information posted about women, you sound like poorly educated idiots discussing them. The post regarding the under developed mind and the mind that sees beyond the box- you have got to be kidding. Do you have any idea how ridiculous and degrading you sound? The reality is that the current trend is for more women than men to achieve higher education degrees. Who has the under developed mind then? Nothing wrong with staring - submitted by louie on 08/27/2007
Nothing wrong with staring at youri house. Cavemen did it, so did pre-cavemen. Like women stare at their jewelry, lol. Louie is right. Cavemen - submitted by Anonymous on 08/27/2007
Louie is right. Cavemen weren't the first. My wife spends twice as much lookiungg at her ear rihgs than I do at my lawn. What can I say, I like lawns. Better than guys who surf the next for porn, that's what I tell my wife whedn she coplains. Louie is right. Cavemen - submitted by Anonymous on 08/27/2007
Louie is right. Cavemen weren't the first. My wife spends twice as much lookiungg at her ear rihgs than I do at my lawn. What can I say, I like lawns. Better than guys who surf the next for porn, that's what I tell my wife whedn she coplains. I like looking at my house4, - submitted by houser on 08/31/2007
I like looking at my house4, it cost a fortune, what's the big deal. Complaining women ought to worry about their own problems. Fix something... - submitted by Nismoto on 11/05/2007
jodiner, Instead of staring at your house seeing all that NEEDS to be done, try doing something about it. - Paint you house yourself. - Fix your roof yourself. - Build a new deck yourself. - Rip out your crappy lawn and put in some new sod, yourself. The emphasis here is "do it yourself". You just might find yourself standing in your street staring at your house, appreciating your hard work and patting yourself on the back. nothing wrong - submitted by Anonymous on 02/03/2008
pride in accomplishments, things you built with your own hands and sweat. try it sometime silly comments - submitted by Anonymous on 09/16/2008
The only way you can associate "put out more often" with standing outside staring at the house is if you're jacking off. in one way or another. Lamer.  |
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