Nagging vs Grumbling

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The advent of the 80-channel color TV in Indian homes killed many age-old traditional virtues. Like story-telling, small talk while eating together, reading together, walking together, thinking together; all replaced by viewing atrocious programs together banishing all imaginative and creative small time activities that bonded a family.

A man went on a business trip to a far-off place in the good old days and felt home-sick. He was late for his dinner and was the last man in the restaurant. The waitress served his food and was watching him and her watch impatiently. The man proposed that he would give a dollar extra tip if she could please sit opposite him. Which she gladly did. He then proposed that an extra dollar tip would be hers if she could please nag him a bit while he ate.

Alas, nagging has all but disappeared in families, replaced by the verbal violence on the screen by the mother-in-law vs her daughter-in-law. Not the same at all. No creative virtues of nagging on different themes on different nights.

As he grew old, man discovered his own weapon against nagging. Grumbling.

Women just can't stand grumbling. They would rather prefer argument, reason, even shouting. But grumbling is a more potent weapon than all these put together. Women ask their men to shut up. Men do it as best as they can.

But the woman shouts: "Your lips are moving and I know you are grumbling about the excess salt in the curry".

Man would then stop moving his lips.

Woman then shouts: "I Know you are grumbling in your head that my blouse doesn't match my sari".

Man would then get up and go away to his laughing club...the last resort he has at his age..60.

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