Because I’m Married to a Global Man

I went to a conference for school and heard Cynthia Tobias. Among the many cool things she talked about was the topic of global and analytical people. If you know me well, then you know that I am very analytical. If I’m doing a project I like to have all of the specifics of how to do the project. I think of multiple ways to do the project including all of the worse case scenarios. I like to think inside the box, because I know what is expected in my “box.” I like order and routine.

Funny though, God in His ultimate wisdom, didn’t give me an analytical husband. Kyle is what you call global. He doesn’t think in a box, because well, he doesn’t even know there was a box to begin with. He uses very creative and sometimes very odd tactics compared to my analytical mind ideas to accomplish the same thing that I do. He likes to think in a big picture way. Be careful in giving to many requirements for his project, because you stifle his creativity. Plus he already started thinking outside the box when you gave the first instruction, so he might not have heard them all.

Case in Point:
When I put the dishes away there is a certain place where they go. Every time I put them away they go in the same place so that I know where to find them later. Mind you this is done with a purpose so that I save time and sanity.

When Kyle puts the dishes away he is seems to often be thinking, “Now how can I make this better.” So he has on several occasions decided there are better places for say the strainer. Last night I was making pasta, and low and behold the strainer had moved from its spot. I looked where I had for the past 3 months, and instead found it on the other side of the kitchen where Kyle thought it should be. He is very creative, it just always isn’t communicated that the “routine” of putting the dishes away has altered. Now that it moves, I agree, it is a better spot.

Even Better Case in Point:
Like I said, I am a woman of routine. I have my morning routine down to a science. I know how much time I need, and I can tell you at any point in my morning routine if I am off schedule. If I am running late, do stay out of my way because I am working on over drive to catch up so that I am not late.

This morning I am just making it on time. I’d rather have a little extra time, but I had already had to cut one thing out of my routine to be done at a later time. As I grab a water bottle, the last thing I need before I leave, I notice something.

Now let me back up just a bit. Last night I noticed that Kyle had cut a square out of the plastic that holds the 24 water bottles together so that when you get them from the grocery store they stay packaged together. I’m thinking, “Oh I love how brilliant my husband is. This is a much easier way to get the bottles out than the way I was trying to scoot one out at a time from underneath the strong plastic.” We put the recycling container right below the counter where the water bottles are. So, drop off an old one, and pick up a new one.

Okay, now back to this morning. As I pull one of these very accessible water bottles out, the craziest thing happened. It was empty!!! I think in my analytical mind, "now why in the world would you put an empty bottle with all of the full ones? You would waste time everyday searching for a full one, especially if you have 23 empty bottles and only 1 full one." Remember, this is messing up my morning routine. I should be out the door by now. So I look at Kyle with an “I can’t even believe you” look as I say, “You’ve got to be kidding me!” and threw the water bottle at him. Then I grabbed three more bottles that happened to also be empty. They too were tossed in his directions. All the while he is laughing tearfully. Through his laughter he is trying to explain that he didn’t do it to frustrate me. In his mind it made sense.

So, stay tuned. He said that I could write this up, and then he’d tell his side of the story.