Totally agree with the differences. My former wife used to drive me nuts when I would become silent and keep asking "what's wrong, tell me....what's bothering you." Me...."nothing." About 30 seconds later it was...."really, tell me what's bothering you." Me...."I told you, NOTHING." This would go on forever so it seemed, until finally I'd tell her...."you want to know what's REALLY bothering me, it's you constantly asking what's bothering me. For the last time....NOTHING." I'd usually walk out of the room about then because I knew the size of explosion that was sure to follow in short order. To this day she denies she ever did such a thing, but all of our daughters are quick to inform her...."sorry mom, you also drove us nuts with the same tactic. We used to tell you something off-handed simply to shut you up."
Raising four daughters and a wife(yes, I felt I was raising her as well) gave me pause at times, sending me into that "nothing" box often. As for my ex, her teenage life was not normal. She graduated from high school at 15, that means her high school experience wasn't normal. Her folks didn't allow her to date her classmates due to the age difference, by the time I graduated at 18 she already was in her sr. year of college. Smart as a whip but no common sense, almost like a female Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory. Our girls would ask me questions they should have been asking their mother.
I love the idea of the "nothing" box, the older I get the more I seem to go there. My present lady love understands and doesn't try to interrupt.
