Once, when I was a teenager, I couldn't figure out how to open a particular gate. Turns out, I was pushing it the wrong way. My friend said to me, "You know, Jody, for a smart person, you can be really dumb."
Here are some more recent examples:
1. A few years ago, Gary was helping his brother put in some crown moulding. "What's crown moulding?" I asked him.
"It's like baseboards for your ceiling."
"Baseboards for the ceiling?!"
"Yeah, you know, the frame-looking edging that goes around the top of walls."
"I've never seen that before."
"Yes, you have."
"I don't think so. What's it for?"
"Um...it looks nice."
"Does it do anything?"
"No, it's just decorative. I guess it might increase your house value, though."
"Well, that's weird. I seriously don't think I've ever seen that kind of thing before."
"I'm sure you have. You probably just didn't notice."
So I googled it. Turns out Gary was right. Once I saw a picture of it, it was one of those weird experiences where something looks both familiar and completely foreign at the same time. Like I had seen it a hundred times, but it never really registered fully in my brain.
2. Last year, Gary and I were shopping for bathroom fixtures for our master bathroom. "Do you like this faucet?" he asked me.
"I don't know..." I replied. "I think having separate handles for the hot and cold water would get really obnoxious."
"Oh, is that how you feel about the ones in our hallway bathroom?"
*blink blink* "Our hallway bathroom faucet has two handles?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, I never noticed. Okay, I guess it wouldn't bother me too much."
3. Last week, we were sitting behind the deacons at church. I happened to notice that all of them were wearing belts. This is what my thought process was:
"Oh wow, they're all wearing belts. I wonder what the odds of that are. *pause* Do guys usually wear belts with church pants? Maybe they do... Hmm. Yeah, I think Gary always wears a belt to church. Maybe that's a normal thing. Maybe guys always wear belts to church. *pause* Does Gary wear a belt every day? I think Gary might wear a belt every day.... Even with jeans? Does Gary wear belts with his jeans? I can't remember. I think he might. Do all guys wear belts every day? That's kinda weird..."
Later that day, I asked Gary if he wore a belt every day. He looked at me funny and said, "Yeah."
"Even with jeans?"
Another funny look. "Yeah."
"Is that normal?"
"Um, yeah. Everyone wears a belt every day."
"Not girls, though, right?"
"Even girls."
"No way! That can't be true. Even with jeans? I never wear a belt..."
"I know."
"Wait. So you're saying I'm the only one who doesn't wear a belt every day?
"The only one over age 12."
*blink blink* "How can that be possible? How could I have gone my whole life and be completely unaware that girls wear belts every day? That can't be possible."
*shrug* "I'm pretty sure girls wear belts."
"So I'm totally weird and you never said anything about it?!?!"
*pause* "Yes."
IS THIS TRUE?! DO GIRLS WEAR BELTS EVERY DAY? EVEN WITH JEANS?
Here are some more recent examples:
1. A few years ago, Gary was helping his brother put in some crown moulding. "What's crown moulding?" I asked him.
"It's like baseboards for your ceiling."
"Baseboards for the ceiling?!"
"Yeah, you know, the frame-looking edging that goes around the top of walls."
"I've never seen that before."
"Yes, you have."
"I don't think so. What's it for?"
"Um...it looks nice."
"Does it do anything?"
"No, it's just decorative. I guess it might increase your house value, though."
"Well, that's weird. I seriously don't think I've ever seen that kind of thing before."
"I'm sure you have. You probably just didn't notice."
So I googled it. Turns out Gary was right. Once I saw a picture of it, it was one of those weird experiences where something looks both familiar and completely foreign at the same time. Like I had seen it a hundred times, but it never really registered fully in my brain.
2. Last year, Gary and I were shopping for bathroom fixtures for our master bathroom. "Do you like this faucet?" he asked me.
"I don't know..." I replied. "I think having separate handles for the hot and cold water would get really obnoxious."
"Oh, is that how you feel about the ones in our hallway bathroom?"
*blink blink* "Our hallway bathroom faucet has two handles?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, I never noticed. Okay, I guess it wouldn't bother me too much."
3. Last week, we were sitting behind the deacons at church. I happened to notice that all of them were wearing belts. This is what my thought process was:
"Oh wow, they're all wearing belts. I wonder what the odds of that are. *pause* Do guys usually wear belts with church pants? Maybe they do... Hmm. Yeah, I think Gary always wears a belt to church. Maybe that's a normal thing. Maybe guys always wear belts to church. *pause* Does Gary wear a belt every day? I think Gary might wear a belt every day.... Even with jeans? Does Gary wear belts with his jeans? I can't remember. I think he might. Do all guys wear belts every day? That's kinda weird..."
Later that day, I asked Gary if he wore a belt every day. He looked at me funny and said, "Yeah."
"Even with jeans?"
Another funny look. "Yeah."
"Is that normal?"
"Um, yeah. Everyone wears a belt every day."
"Not girls, though, right?"
"Even girls."
"No way! That can't be true. Even with jeans? I never wear a belt..."
"I know."
"Wait. So you're saying I'm the only one who doesn't wear a belt every day?
"The only one over age 12."
*blink blink* "How can that be possible? How could I have gone my whole life and be completely unaware that girls wear belts every day? That can't be possible."
*shrug* "I'm pretty sure girls wear belts."
"So I'm totally weird and you never said anything about it?!?!"
*pause* "Yes."
IS THIS TRUE?! DO GIRLS WEAR BELTS EVERY DAY? EVEN WITH JEANS?