My Husband is a Puffer Fish

Huge generalization: Men often only see the big picture and miss details about the present. Women often only see their immediate surroundings and get lost in the details, forgetting the bigger picture in favor of the here and now. With that said...

I just read an article on one of my favorite websites, Inhabitat, about breathtakingly beautiful under-water crop circles. These intricate patterns are, believe it or not, created by tiny puffer fish in order to attract female puffers. The more intricate the design, the more she is likely to lay her eggs in the central part of the design, supposedly created to shield eggs from ocean currents due to the ridges and valleys. She’s kind of the ultimate “nester” and he’s kind of the ultimate nest provider.

Well, I am definitely in the “nesting” stage of pregnancy, and while I know my baby will be just fine sleeping in a drawer, I’m getting more and more excited at the prospect of living upstairs (in a real bedroom) and giving our baby a place of her own (as nice as my socks are). And Jamie, the industrious puffer fish that he is, is busy hammering away creating a beautiful, safe retreat far from the downstairs laundry room, mounds of clothes, our massive desk and boxes piled ceiling to floor.

But I have to confess, it’s kind of hard for me to keep the end result in my mind. I’m an extremely visual person, so picturing our extravagantly tiled shower and marble vanity, hardwood floors throughout the bedrooms, an illuminated closet and a Narnia-themed nursery (most of this design is Jamie’s idea) is a bit of a challenge when there’s dust everywhere, sharp construction tools hiding the stained carpets, and plastic covering any existing accoutrement. I wonder if the female pucker fish gets just as impatient when she’s swimming around searching for the perfect spot for her eggs. All the guy puffers are tirelessly swishing dust this way and that, creating incredibly beautiful geometric mosaics in the sand and KNOWING the final look will be a masterpiece, but how is it noticeable when the only thing the ladies are able to see is cloudy water? Why do we (or should I only speak for myself?) have such a hard time seeing the end result or just being patient when all I want to do is decorate? 

Do the female puffers swim past the dust clouds and settle for a semi-pro crop circle because she’s tired of waiting? Or are the girls smart enough to take a vacation until construction on their dream pad is finished?

Obviously I wouldn’t leave our house for another just because ours is under construction – I would be a fool.

But I'm awfully tempted to take a vacation.

Images by Yoji Ookata