Marital Discord

There are events in every couples lives that bring all sorts of heated emotions to the surface. One blows up, the other becomes defensive and feelings are quickly hurt.

Different events may bother some but I'm sure some events are universal. Money comes quickly to mind but that's a heavy topic - too deep for the shallow Musings of a Canadian Idiot. Instead, let's turn our attention to a more mundane conflict, backing up a trailer.

The RV park we are in is quite cozy (cramped) and although the sites are large enough, the roadway is narrow. If you are not in a bus or a fifth wheel that cost more than my first mortgage the sad reality is you will have to back your trailer into your site.

I've come to believe that backing up is a genetic skill. My father tows a fifth wheel with a boat behind and he can back up so each ends up exactly where he wants them on his first try. Sadly, I inherited my reversing gene from my mother. Once I took our utility trailer to the dump and after 20 tries the lady in the next truck took pity on me and made her husband do the backing up for me.

Now, I've been married for 17 years, thanks in part to the fact that my husband learned a very important lesson early on. He knows in the very marrow of his bones that I do not understand how to back up and therefore am totally incapable of giving him any helpful directions. When we arrive at our site I stand in the spot I want the back corner of the trailer to be. That's it - I stand there. He takes care of all the rest.


A couple arrived at our campsite yesterday in a heavily loaded van towing a small tent trailer and it was immediately obvious they have not learned that those who can't back up can't give helpful backing up directions. She's trying to direct him but he's steadily inching closer to wrapping his van and trailer around a particularly large tree trunk. She yells at him to stop and he explodes out of the van yelling back at her.

My husband, bless his heart, offers our help to unhook the trailer and manually push it into place. The guy accepts gratefully, appearing glad of the excuse to stop before he destroys the truck, trailer or his marriage. Sheepishly the husband and wife trade glances, perhaps the forgiveness has already begun.

My husband and I, glad we've prevented some marital vacation discord, walk hand in hand back to our trailer. "Been there", he says. "Done that", I reply, and we are both glad neither of us bought the T shirt.