"Who's the man in the relationship?"
"Nobody Justin. It's kind of our defining characteristic in your eyes."
"Who's taller?"
"She's a little taller."
"Who cooks?"
"We both do."
"No, who really cooks?"
"I do." He looked quizzically. "I'm Italian!" I add. (This he accepts.)
"Who cleans?"
"I straighten; she scrubs."
"Who does the dishes?"
"Me."
"Who does the laundry?"
"Her."
"What does she do?"
"Teach."
He sighed. "You drive a truck, or a car?"
"Both."
It's amazing how long, and far this kind of conversation can go on. And for some reason, I find it pleases me. I think it's because I know how absurd it is to want to categorize people in relationships. But I've always felt that if dominance remains one sided, it's doomed. My wife and I call dominance the "Butch Ball" and it's become something we've learned to pass to each other from time to time. We're just like any good team, - a back and forth depending on a plethora of circumstances. How do straight people not realize how perilous the dominant/submissive role play really is?
But even this inquisition is better than my other cumbersome and yet more typical conversation I had with an angry teenager earlier in the week. Being teachers, we often find we have to thwart the emotional daggers of early adolescents. However, being an out teacher, those thwarts can sometimes make that get pretty personal.
"No, I'm sorry Miss but I'm just being honest with you..." Kids are so inherently selfless, aren’t they? When do I ever get to just “be honest” with them? Lol
That’s when I’m slammed with it. "...Your kids are gonna turn out gay. [Bad thing] Kids do what their parents do. Case in point: My parents smoke. So what do I do? Smoke. It's not my fault."
Quizzically, I retort without missing a beat: "Funny. My parents were straight." Bam! Four words was all it took to render an actual teenager speechless. I walk away head high leaving a gaggle of laughter and giggles in my wake.
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