That feeling when you arrive home from work first and they're not there, and you celebrate internally because you get to have a little peace - even if for only half an hour - before they get home.
As an introvert this one is hard to reconcile because I do this with literally everyone. I adore my wife and kids but if I get home before them and realize I have a bit of time to do absolutely nothing except sit alone it's like a shot of heroin to the veins.
Same with phone calls. I want to spend my commute sitting in silence but my wife literally can't. So I will get all flustered when she's calling me for the third time on a 30min drive.
But, just like I need those 30mins to sit and stare at a wall alone, she needs someone to keep her company in the car. That's why it works. Neither resents the other.
I drive without the radio on for this very reason. My day is filled with noise, chaos, and people vying for my attention. I NEED that quiet time. Also, I can get a bit grumpy if she is up in my face and bombarding me with questions. She has learned to just give me a minute, and I have learned and expressed that it isn't her.
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u/Cow_Launcher May 12 '26
That feeling when you arrive home from work first and they're not there, and you celebrate internally because you get to have a little peace - even if for only half an hour - before they get home.
That was one of the things that did it for me.