Spill Your Guts!

Yesterday I was an unwilling witness to a wife venting, spewing her deep unhappiness with her husband’s behavior.  Her concerns were valid, her feelings were real, her objections were reasonable.  But her timing was TERRIBLE.   

The three of us, the wife, husband and I standing in a hallway, were having a conversation, and it was two minutes until we all needed to be somewhere else; this is when she unloads. Sheesh!  Her husband looked shell shocked.  I had no time to try to facilitate good conversation between them or clarify what she meant.  

We all have the right to bring up our concerns and vent when we need to.  But timing is everything.  Consider these suggestions: pick the right time, right place, and the right audience.  When we spill out guts it just gets worse if we do it with someone, or at some time or in some place that is inappropriate.