Women And The Word NOTHING

Nothing. By definition, the word means the complete absence of anything. But every time I hear her utter this two syllable word to me, I know it means something.

I know that her “nothing” carries much more weight than the original definition. She has transformed it into something—Unsaid, but relevant.

I sense it’s something from her glance. The hidden words buried in the laugh lines of her smirk. The gears clicking behind her brown eyes. But still, she chooses to lie to me with this emotional blanket that is “nothing.”

“What’s wrong?”

Nothing.

“What are you thinking about?”

Nothing.

“What did I do wrong?”

Nothing.

“What can I do to make it better?”

Nothing.

I am not a mind reader, so I’m forced to sift through the chapters of her body language. I must try and translate the invisible phrases etched across her face. I have to attempt to decipher the encrypted message in her one-word answers. All these signs are telling me that “nothing” is in fact something. But hell if I know.

Communication can not work as a one-way street. Words need to flow back and forth like a tennis volley. There must be a give and a take. A fair exchange of thoughts, ideas and emotions. Otherwise, all you’ll have is a whole bunch of nothing.

Have you ever had a conversation like this? When you’re on the receiving end of a conversation like this, do you try to unearth the problem or leave the person alone? How frustrating is it when your partner or friend refuses to tell you what’s wrong? Why do you think men and women have such a hard time communicating? Ladies, do you really think your man has a clue as to what he did when you say “nothing?” Fellas, if your girl tells you “nothing” is wrong but you know she’s lying, how do you try and make up for whatever it is you did? What do you mean when you tell someone “nothing?”