Saturday, August 24, 2013

Yes, there was trouble in Paradise, A confession.

Someone asked, “Didn’t you and Sherry ever have a fuss?”

Well…….. Yes some very serious ones.

Do you have to be right all the time? That was me  (Still is sometime).

Yes, Sherry my love, and I even separated two times. Not on paper, nothing legal, just unable to handle my attitude.  I was a Chief for heaven’s sake, I knew everything. All Chief’s do, ask any sailorSurprised smile

I have written a book with this in it so it is no secret. I took a part time job while we were both working in DC. I started drinking too much. I worked in the lumber dept. at a drug store. Yeah, it was a big store, ‘Dart Drug’.

Sherry is a ‘Christian’ in every sense of the word. She is and always has been a very good person. She loves going to church. We had always attended together. Well I stopped, and we had discussions about that, so I moved out of our apartment in Arlington.

She worked just a short distance down the hall from me in the Bureau of Naval Personnel. She was Civil Service, I , active duty USN. We had been separated a few days and she (always logical)  came to my office and asked if I would attend counseling. Sure, she set it up.

We drove together to the Naval Annex at Anacostia. The Counselor, was a Navy Chaplain, So I had no question, this guy would see my side.
He welcomed us and chatted for awhile, very congenial. He asked a few questions, smiling and nodding. In a few minutes he asked Sherry to step outside. “I need to talk to the Chief a few minutes.”

Sherry left and all was quiet for a minute. He had been leaning back in that swivel (I am in charge) chair. He sat forward, looked me straight in the eye and said very succinctly, “WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU CHIEF, ARE YOU CRAZY?” not stopping for an answer he continued, “I have men come in here with real problems, you don’t have one. You have a great lady there and all you have to do to solve this ‘PROBLEM’, is go to church with her, IS THAT A BIG THING?”

I stammered a “No sir.”

“Then get your ass in gear, apologize and go to church with her. I don’t care what you do in church. Plan your next week, sing to yourself, make retirement plans, anything, but take this lady to church. I have men come in here with problems, you don’t have one.  Now are we on the same frequency?”

Meekly, “Yes Sir.”

On the intercom “Send Mrs. Darnell in.”

All of a sudden (Heckle or Jekyll), is a nice guy very sweetly he said, “Mrs. Darnell, I think we have this worked out, don’t we chief?”

Very meekly, “Yes sir.” I knew he was right, but I was too stubborn to admit it.

“Now you two go on, kiss and make up then have a great life,the Navy needs happy families.”

Okay, enough dirty laundry for today.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

You are not always as right as you think you are.

Most problems can be solved by a  sincere “I am so sorry.”

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100_1248aa

This was the Intruder, methinks, a Packard prototype, I could be wrong. But we took took this picture in the

Studebaker museum  in 2007.

12 comments:

Rose said...

I had to read this twice! I'm well aware that all couples have their differences. You got some good advice.

I'm so happy that it all worked out. Or, I would have no hugs to send to a favorite couple that I admire! LOL

Chatty Crone said...

That was great advice - but Jack your heart had to be soft to accept it - some people get simple advise and you know it doesn't matter their hearts are too hard. Good for you and Sherry. sandie

Sara S. said...

Great post and great advise. I too always have to be right, but I am also not to proud to admit when I am wrong. It might taste like vinegar on the tongue while admitting to it, but I know I have to let my husband win one every once in awhile or he won't argue with me anymore lol. I blame it on the stubborn "Donner blood" and the Germany heritage.
Stay sweet!

TARYTERRE said...

If you don't work on your problems together nothing gets resolved. Glad things did for you two. And that you took that advice.

Mevely317 said...

That sounds like a mighty wise chaplain!
... coupled with a wise Mrs. Darnell - wink!
I love happy endings!

Paula said...

Thank goodness Sherry had the good smarts to hang in there and get advice. I never would have thought you two had anything that serious. I would have thought it was a small spat like over what kind of milk to buy or something like that. You're honest and I'm so glad you two are so happy and do the things together that you both enjoy.

shirl72 said...

Brother you have more nerve than me
Tell it all put it on the table.
Mercy... Since we were born going to Church I understand that. I think our
problem was we could not find Minister like DAD.

Jackie said...

I think that you and your wife are an awesome couple; the counselor deserves a hug around the neck.
I'm happy for you and Sherry. Your love endures...
Always,
Jackie

Louis la Vache said...

You are close on the name of the Packard, Jack, but no cigar this time! :-)
It's the Predictor. It was on the show circuit in 1956 and in many ways was the prototype for the unbuilt '57 Packards. It was called the Predictor because it predicted many auto trends:
• 4 wheel disc brakes
• Fuel injection
• T-tops
• Swivel seats
• Flow-through fresh air ventilation
• Impact-absorbing front bumper
• Transaxle for better weight distribution
(The transmission is at the rear axle. Of the forward-thinking features of the Predictor, only the transaxle never caught on, though Pontiac tried it on the Tempest in the early '60s.)
Bill Schmidt and Richard Teague did the styling - in this case, Schmidt more than Teague, though Teague took the lead on the styling of the production '57s we unfortunately never saw. The Predictor was built by Ghia in Italy. They botched the wiring and throughout its life, the Predictor has been plagued with electrical problems as a result. We are lucky we even still have it - there once was an electrical fire in the car because of the botched Ghia wiring.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

In my trivia for today it said it was Kiss and Make up Day. Ya, every marriage has it's ups and downs, not one of us is perfect. Glad you two managed to work out yours. I think more couples need to work at solving their problems, not rushing off mad. We're all human and all have some faults, but working together to solve them only makes you stronger.

~mel said...

Can you believe my Dear Hubby and I have had a few spats too in life??? I know... hard to believe!!! LOL He's so opinionated!

Here's where our dilemma lay ~

It wasn't that I had high standards; it was that I was raised by a great example of what a man should be to his wife ... and that's exactly what I wanted.

Lucy said...

I would never have believed it, You 2 are definitely over the wild "Jack days" and I am so glad. I tried to reset my password and I have to wait cause I screwed up to much on passwords.