Thread: Tm Sgt Advice
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Old 06-05-2012, 13:11   #1
MVP
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: AZ
Posts: 618
Tm Sgt Advice

Being a Tm Sgt is at times like being a father with up to 11 grown boys. The advice provided to those boys can range from career development to female management. The issues that come up can be pretty entertaining at times and call for unusual advice. Although not an SF guy a good friend of mine usually has a very unique persepctive on female management so I want to share this. The story was related to me to be included in my book "Men are from Mars, Women are from Hell" so he uses the term "disciple" as in "satan's Disciple" to refer to the woman.

Anyway, here is the story:

My son has his first real girlfriend, very serious. It's her birthday. He called last night and was complaining that he couldn't find anything for her gift and was thinking about just going on a shopping spree with her. My wife, in typical disciple fashion, began "counseling" him on his lack of romance, the fact he should have thought about the gift earlier, he should know what she wants, etc., etc. I quickly realized the poor boy needed rescuing and some sound fatherly advice to get him through this difficult time.

I took the phone away from wife and got the specific directly from him. I broke down the facts:

1. It's pretty damn late to be buying a gift
2. You're in college, no job, and any money you spend on this is coming from my paycheck
3. He was only thinking short term, immediate impact

My advice was to do something simple, thoughtful, and personal that would have not only the immediate impact of satisfying the moment, but would have
significant long term benefits. I told him to go to a store and buy supplies to make her a homemade card. And use lots of glitter. His reply was not enthusiastic. I again outlined the reasons for this action stating that he had to consider the long term benefits and reiterated the use of lots of glitter. He said he didn't want to use glitter because it was stupid and I replied the glitter was the most important part. He asked why?

I told him that the immediate impact was he had given his girlfriend a gift from the heart, something that could not be purchased and no one else could
possible give to anyone, truly romantic. That was the immediate impact. The long term benefit was in several years he would, at some point, go out
with the guys and would end up in an unapproved business. The result would be he would come home covered in glitter from the stripper that gave him the lap dance. At this point he would be able to say "but I was just making you a card like I did before!"

For the first time in 25 years, my wife was speechless.
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