Seattle is having miserable weather again this spring. Worse, my wife exhibits insufficient emotion.
'êThe weather is terrible and you don'êt emote enough,'ê I complained. 'êYou need to connect to the anger that is building in the community about the weather.'ê
'êWhy?'ê
'êPeople want to know that you empathize, that you share their outrage over grey skies, drizzle, and low temperatures.'ê
'êWhat good would that do?'ê
'êStop being analytical. Stop being practical. Use your heart, not your head. Feel the pain.'ê
'êI don'êt like this weather, but what can I do about it?'ê
'êIt'ês not a matter of doing. It'ês a matter of feeling.'ê
'êFeeling will improve the weather?'ê
'êJust once dispense with logic. Stop being Dr. Spock and emote.'ê
'êHow?'ê
'êShow your passion."
"How?"
Get mad.'ê
'êAnd then?'ê
'êThreaten to kick ass if the weather doesn'êt improve.'ê
'êOK. I'êll kick ass.'ê
'êNow you'êre being inauthentic. You'êre not the type of person who threatens to kick ass. Who are you trying to kid?'ê
'êBut you told me to say it.'ê
'êI want you to emote, connect, and threaten to kick ass — but in authentic manner. I don'êt want you to emote, connect, and threaten to kick ass in a pandering, counterfeit manner.'ê
'êI give up.'ê
'êThere you go again. Passive, defeatist, a quitter. With that attitude we will never see summer."
