I Gave Up. But She Went Through With it
A vivid example from today of what relationships are for.
Primarily, they are for ourselves.
What was the issue?
The problem was finding a good office chair in Armenia.
My lower back and “bottom” are quite picky in this regard.
And then, we stumbled upon an opportunity.
We accidentally found an interesting store.
Went for a first look.
We spent over an hour sitting on various chairs.
Picked out 3.
A week later, we came back for a second and final inspection.
I brought my laptop and sat at the first chair and desk to fully understand the compatibility.
A different sales consultant stood by this time.
After 15 minutes, my spouse left the store to find some drinking water.
Another 10 minutes later (25 minutes after arriving at the store), an employee asks:
- “What do you want?”
- “Sorry?”
- “How long are you going to sit?”
- “I want to buy a chair, I need to figure out which one exactly. Can I sit for 30 minutes on one and then another?”
- “THAT LONG? We don’t do that here!”
- “Well… if that’s the case, great service, good luck.”
I wasn’t prepared for such a turn of events.
I had no intention of arguing.
I calmly gathered my things and left the store without waiting for my spouse.
I waited for her at the exit, and we started heading home.
I shared how people conduct business.
Turns out, in a chair store, you can’t sit on the chairs.
Somehow, I’m supposed to decide which chair I’ll be sitting on for the next several years, 6–8 hours a day, in 15 minutes.
- “We should complain to the manager,” said my spouse.
I was astonished at this point, as she would never have thought to confront someone before.
- “If you want to — go ahead. They’ve already discouraged me,” I replied.
- “Let’s go,” she said.
Here I was astonished a second time.
It was not a bluff. We went back.
My spouse isn’t used to having such conversations.
She only started it, but then I took over.
I couldn’t let her determination go to waste.
Eventually, we reached a compromise.
I sat on all the chairs, as long as I wanted and how I wanted.
In the end, we bought one of them.
This was care.
I succumbed to a moment of weakness.
Who needed that chair? Me.
Yes, if I had left, the store wouldn’t have sold that expensive chair now.
But there’s a high chance it would have been sold later.
Meanwhile, I would have continued to suffer.
Who would have lost in the end? Me.
Yes, I would have returned the next day.
But it would have been a waste of time.
I’m glad that didn’t happen.
It costs a candle nothing to light another.
She would never have done this for herself.
Another time, I helped her similarly.
I never thought I would find myself in such a situation.
But when you have someone who cares…
You always have another chance.
Thank you for reading!
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