Get Hot for Teacher
My husband was recently given the unfortunate task of teaching me how to drive a stick shift. For two weeks we drove around an empty parking lot stopping and going until I could get into first gear without either a) stalling the car or b) crying hysterically because of the fear of it stalling.
I get that this doesn’t sound like a time in our relationship that will make it onto our personal highlight reel, but in hind sight it totally will. Here’s why:
Acknowledge each others skillz
It’s easy to think that your spouse doesn’t have much to offer other than companionship, sex, and being a sounding board after a crappy day at work. We lose sight of the fact that our partner has skills and abilities that go unnoticed all the time in a relationship. The first part of learning something new from your partner demands that you acknowledge one of your partner’s many skillz. Doing this is a great way to frame your partner in a positive light.
Humble thine self
After you acknowledge that your partner knows something you don’t know you will begin the practice of humility. Putting yourself in a position where you don’t know everything encourages you to ask more questions and become more open to answers. Cultivating this humble attitude may be one of the best things you can do for your relationship.
Bonding
All of these positive experiences (recognizing your partner’s talents and learning a new skill) will strengthen the bond between the two of you. This will be a pleasant memory that will be tied to your relationship and it will reinforce the idea that you can trust your partner to teach you something new.
And it’s always fun to have a crush on your teacher 
Category: Relationships 3 comments »
January 12th, 2010 at 7:25 pm
I love this post! So great – I can’t drive a stick either…
It’s so easy to forget the little things like this, and they make such a huge impact on your relationship. I never knew how much I would enjoy home improvement projects until I met my husband (who works at Lowe’s). Using a tile saw is SO MUCH FUN. I would never know that if he didn’t teach me how.
January 13th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Thanks, Kristin! And learning to do home improvement projects and use a tile saw (which sounds terrifying to me!) is exactly what I’m talking about! It’s little things that seemingly have nothing to with “us” that have the potential to bring us closer. Thanks so much for sharing!
January 13th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Am I the only one who thought of Mary Kay LeTourneau and Vili Fualaau when we saw your title?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Kay_Latourneau