Friday, August 1st, 2008...1:11 am
#83: Don’t Be The Ricky
In many couples, of whatever age, one person’s the Lucy and the other person is the Ricky. One person is the Homer, and the other person is the Marge. One person is Han Solo, and the other person is Princess Leia. One person acts young, in other words: wacky, fun-loving, charmingly irresponsible. And the other person gets stuck with acting old.
(For those of you born after 1980, think Gaby and Carlos. Or Paula and Simon. Or all the contestants on Project Runway and Tim Gunn.)
How do you become the Ricky in your relationship? Here’s how it starts: You want to take care of your Lucy. S/he makes you feel so important, so intelligent, so capable. And then, as time goes on, someone’s got to pay the bills. Organize the taxes. Discipline the children. Excuse me a sec: WOULD YOU PUT AWAY THAT ICE CREAM BEFORE THERE ARE ANTS ALL OVER THE COUNTER?
Phew, where was I? Oh right: The next thing you know, you’re the Ricky. You’re yelling and screaming and cursing and threatening. You’re managing the money and blowing your top when the credit card is overlimit and the cell phone minutes are through the roof.
Meanwhile, your Lucy, your Homer, your Han is wandering around in a daze, buying yellow shoes and auditioning for Broadway shows and befriending Wookies. So tell me, who do you want to be, the screaming check-writer or the starry-eyed golden-footed Wookie-lover?
I rest my heavy case.
Ricky? Lucy? Who are these people. Just how old are you anyway?
Okay I am kidding. I know who these people are. But seriously isnt being young just doing what you want. Do the young have a bunch of ‘rules’.
I dont think so.
Hmmmm, I actually think the young have plenty of rules for acting young, starting with “Behave as if you don’t have a bunch of ‘rules’. What do you think? I’d love to hear some young rules, if they’re out there!!
……..whatever………….
Damn! I’m act too old AND I’m the Lucy.
Found your site via Meg Cabot’s. Read about 6 posts. Very nice. Keep it coming. I’m putting you on the feed. Thanks.
I’m born in 1983 and I have no idea who your ‘post-80’ examples are, but totally get the other examples. And I’m the Ricky.
I would rather be Tim Gunn than any of the contestants. Otherwise, I see your point. I think my SO and I are both half Lucy and half Ricky, depending on the situation. I am Ricky about credit cards and such. He is Ricky about my tendency to befriend strangers and trust people too much.
Awww… I like seeing Ricky go off in Spanish!
My hubby and I are both Lucys. Almost 40 for me and 37 for him. No kids, house paid off…just trying to enjoy ourselves, live in Austin, Texas. I can relate to most of your opinions. You make me laugh on a consistent basis so I have forwarded your site to my friends! Congratulations on your success!
I was born in 1990 and I dont understand any of the new cultural allusions but totally know all the old ones… and I’m pretty sure everybody knows who Han Solo is!