You know I’m all about finding and sharing the male perspective here on this little blog when I happen upon it. Usually, it’s courtesy of Ryan [and his very male-minded rants], but today it’s courtesy of one of my co-workers in the newsroom. Our business anchor/reporter or “Resident Explainer” as we often call him on-air. His name’s Howard, and he blogged about an interview they did on the morning show recommending a new wallet for your man as the perfect Christmas gift. But according to our all-knowing reporter, your man doesn’t want that wallet. Here’s Howard’s take:
We had a segment on Sunrise about all the cool stuff for sale at the mall that you, a loving wife, can get for your devoted husband for Christmas. This triggered a rant by me to which I subjected Lisa Kubota during a commercial break. Now I’m inflicting it on you.
When a wife or other form of significant other buys a guy a gift, she needs to think twice about whether the gift is really something the guy wants. This is the important part: do not automatically assume that because a man’s wallet or attache case or toolkit is ratty, that he will welcome a new one.
Often a man persists in using something that looks worn because it has some function that he hasn’t seen in a replacement. The visible wear is not a cry for help but a warning that the old item is good.
Take wallets. There are two basic layouts for wallets. One is shaped a little like the credit cards and folding money inside it, and gets really thick and lumpy. Many men, including this one, prefer the other layout, which fills the pocket more completely in width but doesn’t get as thick.
When a man gets something he doesn’t want for Christmas, especially a replacement for an item he doesn’t wish to replace, this is what he will do. He will smile at you and say “Thanks!” and assure you it’s wonderful. After a discreet interval, say, two months, but in any case not before the tree is gone, he may try to explain to you that he really preferred the old attache case and he doesn’t care if the new one is made of ostrich skin or not.
Women like to smile tolerantly at the foibles of men who willingly go around wearing old clothes or carrying old wallets because they are comfortable. The next time your feet are aching from uncomfortable shoes that look really good, consider who should be smiling tolerantly at whom!
Thank you for enlightening the ladies, Howard. There’s still one big question though: what does he want?!
