I don’t iron.  I used to but retired a long time ago after I discovered a sufficient brand of  “wrinkle free” shirts.  These wrinkle free shirts just need a hot drier, immediate removal and hanging, and wah-lah…they look perfect.  Or so I thought.  Turns out that they didn’t look perfect enough for Sean, and as a result, I recently learned that while I am doing my morning juggle of packing lunches and feeding five children, Sean has been upstairs ironing.  Not such a big deal…right?  I mean, it’s refreshing to see a man take care of himself instead of whining to his wife about the itty-bitty wrinkles in his shirt…  (Which, I must say,  was a smart move on his part because had he told me he wanted me to iron his shirts—in addition to everything else I do—he may have found the iron in an uncomfortable location.)  “So what’s the big deal?” you ask.   Let’s just say his ironing method is a bit unconventional…actually…it’s kind of stunning.

Here’s how this went down last Thursday night as we both stood in our bathroom brushing our teeth before bed.

Me         What’s on your neck?

Sean      A burn.

Me         A burn from what?   I know you aren’t curling your hair!

Sean      Nope…from the iron.

Me         Huh?  How the hell did you burn your neck on the iron?

Sean      Ironing my shirt.  I iron my shirt every morning.  They look better. 

Me         Okay….  but how did you burn your neck?

Sean      I was ironing the shoulder of my shirt and I got to close to my neck.

Me         (Completely confused and annoyed.)  But how did the iron burn your neck?

To which my dear husband motioned as if he was holding an iron—TO HIS CHEST—imitating how the iron slipped as he was ironing his shirt…WHILE HE WAS WEARING IT!

Apparently ironing your shirt while you are wearing it is more efficient than setting up the ironing board.  And…apparently… it’s not painful if you are wearing a cotton t-shirt under the garment you are ironing—unless the iron slips and singes your neck.   Who knew?

I know you might be wondering how an otherwise intelligent person could think it’s a good idea to iron a shirt while wearing it.  I know I have.  But, after 18 years of marriage, I’ve learned to leave well enough alone.  If he wants to iron his clothing while it’s on his body…fine by me.  As long as he doesn’t try to iron me, the kids or the cat, it’s all good.  Who am I to tell him how do get things done?  In fact, I think not interfering in his methodology (unconventional as it is) is one of the secrets to “keeping the peace”.  So, I just shake my head, laugh it off, and thank God for his antics.  Who he is is why I love him so much, and the endless material for blog posts is also much appreciated!