18 Points Men Should Learn About Women

Recently, the question was posed about what men know about women. Since I consider myself as qualified to answer this conundrum after nearly 30 years of marriage to a wonderful woman, I offered these hard learned lessons in woman logic.

My proof-reading fellow Baytown Sun forum poster, Dagney Taggart graciously offered confirmation to my 18 point assertion on women, (her comments appear in parenthesis)

1. Almost all women expect and appreciate fidelity in a man.

2. Shoes! For some reason beyond man’s comprehension, shoes are very important to women.

3. Women find it hard to apologize first, so for the sake of the relationship, men should sincerely apologize as many times as it takes allowing the woman to reenter the relationship gracefully.

4. Women value stability in a relationship over muscles.

5. Women love money. (I do love $$ in the sense that hubby has worked his tail off from day one, and been a good steward of the $ earned. He has built a secure, stable little world for us and our children. SO, I look at it a little differently than say someone who just wants to blow it all, and have a good time. AND I didn't love him ANY less during the lean years while he was still in college and we didn't have all the material things we have today. Sometimes, I even long for those simpler days).

6. The house is the woman’s domain. If men will realize this early on, it will bring peace to the home.

7. Women have an innate need to pamper themselves or be pampered.

8. Women need to be told they are beautiful on a regular basis.

9. Women need other women as a support group. This is very important to them.

10. Shopping to women is like hunting or fishing to men. Women love shopping.

11. Women tend to change the rules once a man complies. (Guilty as charged. I like to keep him on his toes. I prefer to think of it as "goal-setting". Gotta give a man somethin' to shoot for)!

12. Women tend to view all purchases as "saving money". (Ha! Ha! AND it's true; provided we don't charge the item that's on sale... we NEED those things)!

13. Women see a mate as a life work in reconstruction. (No....no... you misunderstand. It's "training", and I HAVE to say....after spending half my life w/ this man, he's there :) SO, now I change it up from time-to-time so as to keep him current on all previous "training").

14. The longer a woman is married, the more often she feels the need to re-feather her nest - home improvement. (This correlates to the VAST remodeling knowledge you guys have gained over the years through our "projects" AND those hours you spent watching Bob Vila etc. We let you watch those SO you can competently complete said "projects").

15. PMS or Menopause? NOPE! It's you that have the problem Bubba! (That's a touchy subject. Hubby and I have devised a system. When his breathing is getting on my nerves, I very sweetly let him know. That's his clue to tread lightly until I let him know I'm over it. He truly does give me a WIDE berth and pretty much doesn't comment on anything).

16. Women are almost always right. Smart men figure this out quickly, or are forced to wait 5 or 6 days for reconciliation. (Although I've learned over the years, in the interest of marital harmony, to admit when I'm wrong. Something miraculous happened... he NOW admits when he's wrong).

17. Most women prefer to manage the money in a relationship. They see it as being a good steward of the relationships assets and secretly think the man will not handle is wisely. (I think Hubby would do a fine job. He told me a LONG time ago; he'd seen the job and didn't want it. As long as he has some play $$$, he's content. (Play = golf, boat, fishing).

18. Smart women know how to word things to get what they want, so the man thinks it’s his idea. (BINGO! I have my ways of "planting the seed", and before I know it...).

One wise and brave fellow dared to confess "When we consider the above habits of women closer, we can see they are not so terrible. Nobody is perfect, and partners should learn to compromise and be patient toward each other".

Dagney Taggart offered this: "Men & women are complementary to each other. If we could all just see that each has unique strengths, talents, and weaknesses... used TOGETHER, you have something pretty REMARKABLE. I don't want to be masculine and I SURE AS HECK don't want him to be feminine".