Smart home turns husband into Big Brother
I wish people were more aware of the potential negative impact these devices and systems can have on our personal lives and relationships.
For instance, your husband, who cannot resist the temptation to control you and your house, likely has more privacy in a crowded office than you have at home.
Once you surrender your privacy, and your freedom to make choices, including mistakes, without interference, what do you have left? An ongoing relationship with Big Brother.
If you cannot persuade your husband to respect your privacy and detach from you during the day, then you should find a co-working space, a coffee shop, or a garden shed to work out of to escape his surveillance.
Dear Amy: I'm a 30-year-old woman who lives with my boyfriend. I've had several weddings in the past few years for friends and family, and I'm happy for all of them.
HOWEVER, I am sick of attending bridal showers when the couple has lived together for years and is financially stable. It feels gift grabby. Showers originated for couples moving out of their parents' homes and living with each other for the first time -- people "just starting out" with empty homes.
Showers also harken to traditional gender roles -- I feel silly buying cooking tools for "Lindsey's shower" when I know it's her fiance who does the cooking.
Am I being a curmudgeon? Many of these couples have lived together for years in furnished homes, and items will be used by both the man and woman, yet expect only their female friends (not males) to provide new domestic items. It also is a gross reminder of consumer culture wherein people collect mounds of junk they don't need.
My mother said that even if I don't attend, I'd still have to send a gift just because I was invited!
Who is right?
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