Candid Chris

Michelle:

When I was teaching third grade, one of the assignments I gave my students was to create and write about their own superhero.  One of my students, wrote about Buttered Toast Man. A three-pager about a guy whose job it was to save the world from dry toast.  What my students didn’t know is that I live with my very own superhero, my husband, Candid Chris. His superpower: tell people hard-hitting truths that they might not want to hear and probably want to acknowledge even less.  If I were writing his superhero story, I would include the time that Candid Chris said to our neighbor, “Sure your new car is great, but it doesn’t make you any less of a jerk?”  Candid Chris could strike at any moment, and no one would be immune to his power.  Like the time he said to our daughter, “What you think is an attempt at friendship seems to really just be a way of trying to show off for others.”  Candid Chris, believes that all people need to hear the truth no matter how unpleasant it may be.  

Chris:

Like Superman, Candid Chris’ kryptonite is sometimes coming across too blunt, harsh or even cruel. But, the truths in life can often times be difficult to hear.  I don’t know that anyone would rush to the door when Candid Chris appears, but I do know that honesty can make our lives better despite sometimes making us feel worse.  Something that this superhero found so refreshing about his Lois Lane, is that she actually does come to me to hear the truth.  When she would ask, “Does this make me look fat?” She was not looking for the, “No dear, you look wonderful in everything,” response.  She was actually counting on me to tell her, if what she was wearing looked good.  Did I always say what she wanted to hear? Probably not. Did it sting sometimes?  Probably.  Does Candid Chris have to consistently utilize his not as fine-tuned power of tact? For sure! But that is another of the great truths in life. I wouldn’t be lying to protect Michelle’s feelings, but rather to protect myself from the pain or repercussions I will experience from seeing a look of disappointment across her face, an errant tear, or even my own self-judgment.  When we are going through life’s traumas, we need to give ourselves enough time to process the hard truth of the situation.  

Michelle:

What is so concerning about the world we live in today is that we have become programmed to try to avoid challenges.  We then lose the benefits of what experiencing a healthy dose of truth can do.  Take it from Candid Chris, everyone has problems.  Candid Chris would even tell you that at the end of one problem is the beginning of the next.  So, try not to hope for a life without problems; instead, hope for the wisdom to learn from them all.