PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
He snorted, as always, as he stood in the door of her office. “Tchotchkes. Bric-a-brac. How do you stand all this mess? Clutter, nothing but dust catchers!”
I’m not having this conversation with you again.”
“Right. They all meeeaan something to you. One day I’m going to clear it all out so you have space to work!”
“The day you do that, you’ll have lots of wide open space for yourself. I and my “mess” will be gone. Now leave me alone.”
“Bah!” He snorted again as he stomped away.
Just Writing! 
I could see this
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Thank you! That’s high praise, indeed!
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Too much clutter and too much static. They need your counseling help, Linda. 🙂
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This is a very common problem in marriage. Opposites do seem to attract in the beginning, but sometimes the things that attracted us early on can become the biggest causes of irritation later on.
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I think that’s universally true. Ms Uptight marries Mr Easy-going — and spends years trying to light a fire under him. “Something needs to be done here!” And he just says, “Relax once. It’ll all work out.”
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That’s funny, Christine. Sad, but funny 🙂
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I can understand his mood – I can’t stand mess either, though it’s usually my kids and their bedrooms! 🙂
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My dad was a neatnik, and he regularly checked to see that our bedrooms were up to his standard. He was in submarines during WWII, where there was absolute necessity of everything being stowed correctly. I find I’m growing more like him as I age.
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Yep. His interference is not going to help. I could really see these two!
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Thanks so much! You’re the second person to say you could see them. That’s such an encouragement to me!
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It means a lot to the person who has accumulated the mess!
I know as I am there and I have a lot to piles of papers to cleanup!
The Missing Girl – Anita Sabat
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I fight clutter ALL the time! My husband isn’t bothered by it. Drives me nuts! 🙂
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It’s a Felix and Oscar moment, complicated by Felix’s being over Oscar’s head
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I actually thought about the Odd Couple as I wrote 🙂
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Hey it always pays to be able to count upon that pop cultural knowledge
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🙂
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Dear Linda,
And I wonder what clutter of his own is he cherishing? My husband and I are both pack rats of our own accord. When I was a little girl my mother would stand at the door of my room and scream. Then she’d just shut the door.
I could see and hear your characters. Good job.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Terry is the packrat here, but as you say, we all have our own “stuff” that we value and don’t want to dispose of. Me? My yarn and fabric stash 🙂
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Why is it men are disgusted with knick knacks but have no problem filling their workshops full of a zillion “tools”? Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus. I hope he has enough common sense not to mess with her stuff or he might find his workshop “rearranged.” 😉
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Oh, yes! Here in our house Terry is definitely the clutterbug, and he has TOOLS everywhere I let them stay. I draw the line at our living room 🙂
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I see you and Terry have worked something out. Fabulous!
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Going on 53 years :). That’s a testament to God’s grace and our enduring love!
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❤ ❤
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It’s the age old conflict, isn’t it? My own home is the antithesis of my mother’s. A clean, clear surface brings me an unexplainable sense of joy.
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Me too, Sandra. It brings my husband a deep desire to put something–anything–on it 🙂
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I’m a real messy person – except for my induction hob. I love the shine when it’s clean, and I keep it pristine!
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Great voice! He better watch it. Never touch someone else’s clutter until asked.
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Besides which, someone else’s clutter seems a lot worse to us than our own 🙂
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Too true! 🙂
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i hope they find a middle ground somewhere. otherwise, the relationship is doomed.
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Truth. But compromise can be reached. He’s going to have to put aside his snarky attitude, thought 🙂
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One man’s trash might be his woman’s treasure. I hope he learns quickly before he creates another kind of mess. 🙂 Well done and very real.
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Thanks, Bill.
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Shelves, tabletops and desks are meant to be covered with stuff, that’s what they are there for – well, that’s my excuse!
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You and my husband see eye to eye!
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Why do people like to comment on other peoples’ organisation of clutter? Just leave the mess alone, I say.
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I do the best I can,James, but when his mess intrudes into my space, I have to draw a line. And I do. And he usually respects it 🙂
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I do like sorting out the items that I pile up! Now where are my glasses,
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Funny, Michael. Did you check on top of your head ? 🙂
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You’ve touched a nerve with a lot of us with this one, I can see. Including me. It’s such a small issue, really, but becomes psychologically important when we are living with others. I laughed at your reply to Sandra – my husband is a cactus collector, and every surface around here is in danger of becoming a cactus garden. Potted, of course.
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Well, it’s a harmless hobby until you find yourself staring at a succulent on your dinner plate 🙂
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To start a conversation with a non-verbal snort is really aggressive. That couple really is treading on dangerous ground. Well written, Linda.
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Thanks, Penny.
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Loved the familiar banter between partners.
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I could almost see him stomping off as snorting all the way. LOL
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I’m sure they have had this conversation before. And they will again; they will not change themselves in their desire to change the other.
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You’re probably right. This is one of those incredibly boring endless-loop conversations.
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