The problem: I'm facing a daily battle to get my wife to shut the myriad drawers she pulls out and leaves open. I have "learned" to just shut them myself, rather than make another announcement. I'm sure I'm not the only "closer" out there. Is there a way to get her to do this?
Low road: Superglue them shut!
High road: I feel your pain. Aside from your reasonable desire that she make this small effort because it matters to you, she's creating a potential safety hazard. Anyone coming around a kitchen or bedroom corner could get quite a surprise in the form of a bruised knee or whack to the head.
The bigger hazard, though, is the daily energy you've spent trying to get her to do something she has clearly decided she's not going to do. In other words, welcome to marriage, where it's always something. You say potato. I say you're peeling it wrong.
On the endless list of marital compromises, this is a small annoyance. Preserve your strength — and your shins — by stepping away from this power struggle. Push 'em closed, keep moving, say nothing. It's an open-and-shut case of marital goodwill.
Send questions about life's little quandaries to gail.rosenblum@startribune.com. Read more of Gail's "High Road" columns at startribune.com/highroad.
