Zip it

This morning started off like so many others. As my wife and I were about the business of getting out the door for work, we walked through our schedules and our to do lists for the day ahead. As we discussed her tactics and strategies for dealing with a particularly perplexing conundrum, I could not resist the temptation to give her the "benefit" of my wisdom. As is often the case in these situations, the value of my counsel was something less than I thought it might be. Have you ever been there?

The funny thing was, it was a conversation that we should never have had. As I was driving in on the expressway, it occurred to me I should have been fast asleep two time zones away. No less than 24 hours earlier, my travel plans had been dashed and I found myself commuting rather than waking at the foot of a mountain in Colorado.

Had I awoken elsewhere, no doubt my opinions on the matter in question would never have seen the light of this day. No doubt, my better half would have wrestled her conundrum to the ground on her own and fashioned an acceptable solution. No doubt, without my suggestions she would have been just fine. Go figure.

Somewhere on Southbound I75 it hit me. Zip it.

Sometimes in my efforts to help I cross the line. I offer more than I am asked for. Not because I am so sure I am right but because I want to "help" the people I care about in every way I can. The truth is, had I been sleeping two time zones away, I would have never been given the opportunity to help and a solution would have been fashioned without my input..

The result would have been a solution to a problem that I did not create and I did not need to solve. The solution would have been whatever it was crafted to be without me. The outcome would have been just fine.

For the rest of the weekend I am going to try to keep my opinions two time zones away where, but for a change of plans, they would have never seen the light of day.

Wish me luck!