Call the Po Po!

Leave it to the French government, which if it has its way, will make yelling at or insulting your spouse or roommate a crime:

A bill being put forward by Nicolas Sarkozy's government would make "psychological violence" between married or cohabiting couples a matter for state intervention. It's a puzzling and problematic idea, for all manner of reasons.

For starters, there's the question of defining an act of psychological violence: as it stands, the legislation would appear to cover everything from nagging, to false accusations of infidelity, to sustained campaigns of verbal abuse, to a failure to supply the correct answer to the question: "Does my bum look big in this?"

I will start this with a statement and disclaimer. I love my wife, and I don't know anyone that has a fundamentally stronger relationship than the Mrs. and I. We are happy as husband and wife, and are also great friends who deeply enjoy sharing life together. That, and the following few paragraphs are (kinda sorta) tongue in cheek.

Having said all that, I AM half-Italian. Multiplying the decibel level, turning red in the face, and waving my limbs violently is pretty much my genetically programmed default setting for having a discussion. Add to this the faulty on/off switch on my sarcastic remarks generator, and the result is a propensity for unfortunate missteps when it comes to domestic disputes.

Lest you call me a monster, let me assure you that I married the right woman, and Mrs. Hommes gives as good or better than she receives. I knew I had to find a strong woman that could keep me in my place, and apparently you have to be careful what you ask for, because I certainly got it and then some.

Overall we have a complimentary and functional, even if messy at times, communication style. By wearing our relationships on our sleeves, we always know where we stand with one another, nothing is ever left unsaid (good or bad), and we are quick to fix problems and not allow them to fester or grow. As we get mature together, we are mellowing out a bit and smoothing out more and more of the rough edges everyday, but let's just say we are both still glad we don't live in France!