My husband the "Herder"

It took me only a little bit to catch on to my husbands talent or strategy and I don't quite know if it's he who caught on to my need for personal space that gave him the opportunity but here is what I am talking about.

Shortly after he and I became a couple and began doing "couple things" I noticed him inching in.  Perhaps that "honeymoon" phase helped me not notice or not mind at first, but I have a great need for personal space and have no problem stepping back a bit when people move in too close or just plain ask someone to keep their distance. 

My clever husband figured that if he moved in to my space I would move away as a reflex when not engaged in a romantic moment.  He would inch towards me and I would naturally move to a comfortable distance. I noticed his tactic first when shopping at a department store. I can't say that men don't like to shop, because they do if it's something that interests them. My honey for example hates to shop for clothes and even worst going shopping with me, so to "usher me" out of a store he began to use what I call his "herding" tactic.  Once I caught on I called him on it and asked him if he thought he was a sheep dog trying to herd me towards the door. 

Now some times I plainly see that he is doing it and don't mind, especially when visiting my mother.  I  know I can talk forever to my mother: in my defence, I don't see her quite as often as I wished I did, so having a 15 minute conversation by the door on my way out isn't unusual.

Other times I just plain want to hurt him like when we are shopping for his clothes.  He hates shopping for clothes and will start to heard me in the direction of the nearest cash register.  I can be looking around for another pair of pants for him to try on attempting to take advantage him being present, because I HATE having to return things that do not fit him more than he hates shopping!

When he's had enough (after one or two visits to a fitting room) he will begin with the herding: inching in, standing opposite the direction he would like me to move.  I realize he is doing it, but I ignore him until he is practically standing on me and makes me snap at him. "Ya!" (translation from Spanish = Enough!) and then he looks at me with "Nermal Eyes" (for those Garfield fans) and I feel awful for loosing my temper over what he thinks is funny or even cute! 

I'll still want to sidekick him, but he'll make faces batting his eyelashes and making me laugh!