Lucy: Jeff, here’s a question. I was just talking to Dawn. You know, they had their first wedding anniversary last week. Guess what her husband gave her as a present.
Jeff: I don’t know. What?
Lucy: He gave her a vacuum cleaner.
Jeff: Didn’t she want a vacuum cleaner?
Lucy: Yes, the old one was broken, but that’s not the point! It was their wedding anniversary, their first one. Dawn was really upset that he wasn’t more romantic. He really let her down.
Jeff: Oh, great. Women are always saying that men aren’t romantic. But we are! Just not in the way that women want.
Lucy: What do you mean?
Jeff: It’s a man’s job to protect his wife and family. When something goes wrong, they want to fix it. That’s the mark of a good husband.
Lucy: I can see that, but that’s not romantic in my book.
Jeff: That’s because you women have this idealized view of romance that you get from a lifetime of watching chick flicks and reading romance novels. Even if a man wanted to, he could never get into the head of a woman and guess what she wanted. That’s why women have to just tell us what they want.
Lucy: That’s the problem. We women think men should just know what we want, without us having to tell them…that is, if the man really loved and understood us. That’s why we don’t want to tell you. But, I see your point, too.
Jeff: So, I guess it’s really true. Men are from Mars and women are from Venus.
Lucy: Yeah, that’s what makes life interesting, right?
Talking to the Professor
[A knock on the door.]
Jeff: Come in.
Julie: Hi, Dr. McQuillan, I’m Julie Taylor. I’m in your 2 o’clock class on Thursdays.
Jeff: Hi, Julie. Have a seat. What can I do for you?
Julie: I wanted to come see you during your office hours because I missed class last week. I had a family emergency.
Jeff: I’m sorry to hear that. We went over a lot of material so make sure you get the notes from another student in class.
Julie: Thanks, I will. Did you give any assignments?
Jeff: Yes, I assigned an essay on the topics in chapter 3 of your textbook.
Julie: Oh, I see. Are there guidelines for the essay?
Jeff: Yes, it should be 8-10 pages and it’s due in two weeks. Take a look at your syllabus. It has more details.
Julie: I will. Thanks a lot. I’ve also been meaning to talk to you about the trouble I’m having keeping up in class. I’m having trouble understanding the lectures. Is there anything you would suggest?
Jeff: Some students tape record the lectures and listen to them afterwards. That seems to help.
Julie: That’s a great idea. I’ll definitely try that. I’m wondering if you give extra credit in your class?
Jeff: No, I don’t give extra credit assignments. But if you’re worried about passing, there are still two more tests to pull up your grade.
Julie: Yes, I’ll study hard for those. Thanks a lot for your time.
Jeff: No problem. See you in class.
Julie: Okay, Professor McQuillan, see you Thursday.