Number 3  

When you have no one to talk to

 Are you forced to talk to your husband?

Roger and I have the usual marriage.  I talk, he ignores.  One of my favorite expressions when I get no response “please just grunt” so I know you heard me.  This talking pattern always worked for us because I could surround myself with other “like” people (other talkers).

So here we are in Costa Rica, a year in self-imposed exile, knowing almost no one.  And who do I have to look forward to talking with every day, yep Roger.  He has never been a conversationalist and if I am honest, I prefer being the one that directs the conversations (even if they are one sided).

Already I can see myself searching out people to talk to. We happen to be in the Central Market (pictures to follow) and these 2 men were looking at wooden coasters.  One said how much is 10,000 colones.  Before his partner could open his mouth, I said $20.  Then I started talking about the price of goods in Costa Rica as they looked at the very strange woman standing before them.

So when Roger and I sit down to have wine on the balcony every evening, the topic of conversation tends to be…the traffic below us, (the conversation usually goes..."omg did you see that" with me talking). 

We hardly watch TV anymore so we can’t even have our usual “discussion” about how the Republicans are destroying the country or how the Democrats see taxes as the solution to all society’s ills.  We used to be able to stomp off in our neutral corners until each of us cooled down, but now he’s all I’ve got.  We’ve officially called a truce on politics until we get back to the USA.