Recession and me - (old one)

The other day, I thought I should enlighten my wife about the global economic meltdown, and how it was important for us to eliminate wastage and trim costs - specially since she considered my earnings to be just about sufficient to keep body and soul together.


As I broached the subject, like any other self respecting wife, she thought I was blaming her for the great economic slow-down. 


I readily admitted that we were both innocent in this matter. I had go to great lengths explaining how this financial crisis was triggered by huge financial institutions slapping huge loans down the throats of wary pedestrians on the sidewalks of Manhattan.


"Naturally, you men are responsible for this", she said. 


I had to give in here, since the main issue was getting side-tracked. I had a conscious duty to perform to save the millions of children in Africa that would go hungry that night, if I did not contribute my bit in saving Bank of America from imminent collapse. "If we cut costs, we may be able to go in for Dish TV", I said, bringing the agenda back on rails.


"You men are all alike", she interjected "always thinking of means to spend money on useless things which adds to the monthly expense, and expect me to cut costs". This was getting into dangerous grounds, and I had to take control of the situation, or it would end like most intellectual discussions that we normally have.


"Prices are going to spiral through the roof", I said remembering an oft repeated statement on TV, to bring in some reality into the discussion.


She had simple solutions for such complex problems. "Why don't you ask your boss for a raise"?  she asked. 


I gave up. The discussion was getting nowhere. We men, have always faced such an uphill task. From the time men left the cosyness of the cave to hunt and returned with empty stomachs and tired limbs, they faced the same dilemma. The womenfolk refused to understand that the animals can also take a day off. In modern times, womenfolk refuse to believe the phenomenon of the present day slave drivers that we call bosses.


To my surprise, my wife smiled, and accepted that she will do her best. 


I was proud of her. Being  an efficient housewife since marriage and economist of sorts, I thought, she has caught up with the idea pretty fast. I had the satisfaction of a job done well. Africa will have a peaceful night, I thought.


Dinner time. I took control of the remote without world war lll breaking out. I felt like Rama would have felt, if he had gone to war with Ravana - and suddenly seen the whole of Lanka welcoming him with flowers and garlands!


In the exhilaration that follows when you have successive victories, I was a little late to notice that the food tasted bland. On closer inspection, I eurekad - there's no salt in the dal. 


My better half smiled sweetly. "Yes", she admitted. "there is less salt, less oil and even the dal is mixed with other pulses. Not only it saves cost, it is good for health she proclaimed."


And that is how, the Global meltdown affected my QOL (quality of life)!