Lower or Higher?

The nice thing about standards is that there are so many of them to choose from.
--Andrew S. Tanenbaum

I like to tease Chris about being picky. Picky about movies, decorations, clothes, music . . . fish . . . names for future children (no, I am not pregnant . . . I just like planning) . . . future homes (again, not shopping, just planning . .. I like to plan . . . a lot). Chris is picky about just about everything, really (everything that matters, he would say, which is true). He likes to tease me about not caring about . . . well . . . most things.

"I'm not picky," he retorts. "I just have high standards. I don't settle for less than the best, which is why I married you." *insert cheek pinch*

"Well do you think you could lower just a little bit? I mean, make it easier on me? Do you have any IDEA how difficult it is to find things that you like? Our future children will all be labeled A, B, and C."

"No, Optimus Prime, Chewbacca, and Link." He smiles. Chris has several smiles--the easy, laid back "I'm happy" smile, the sentimental, snuggly smile, the "I'm tolerating this right now" smile, the "that's hysterical, I'm laughing" smile, and the "I'm bugging the crap out of you and I love it" smile. He's wearing the latter.

"You don't ALWAYS have to be so particular. I mean, why not like this AND that?"

"Because THIS is better than THAT. Why settle for less?"

At this point, I scowl, make an exasperated noise, and he laughs. Victory at last. "You know, you could raise your standards. Figure out what you like and not settle," he says.

Sometimes, it's hard to raise your standards when you don't care THAT much. It's even harder to lower them once you do care. So I settle for not caring as much as I can--disappointment is less painful when you don't have expectations. So it's a good thing my husband cares a lot, or else I would live a pretty boring, careless existance.
Though I do wish he would hurry up and like a few more kid names and house layouts. ;)