Accommodating Strengths and Weaknesses Issues
So my sister, her boyfriend, my boyfriend, and I went to go play tennis. My boyfriend's friend was invited along by joint decision by my sister and my boyfriend, so I suggested they ask him to bring a friend so it was still an even number.
He didn't bring a friend so we were stuck as five people and my boyfriend suggested 3v2 if i wanrwd to join them in playing. At that point, they all filtered to baseline spots and I couldn't bring myself to say that 3v2 doesn't work well, especially in front of his friend who I was worried might feel bad about not bringing anyone. I especially felt stuck because even if I went to the net to try and join, I'm 5 feet tall... I can never play net.
I felt even worse after they changed courts to one with better lighting but didn't tell me as I was on my phone asking a friend for advice. I looked up and they were gone so I awkwardly gathered m resolve up to get my stuff and move over to the bench by them. When I got there, my boyfriend just said "oh hey (my name)."
After, I talked to my sister and my boyfriend about how the experience was for me when my sister asked. She knows that my nonconfrontation nature goes exceedingly far and that I freeze and lock up. Normally she's better about accommodating because she knows how I am and apologized that she forgot.
I didnt expect my boyfriend (9 months) to know or know how to help accomodate this, but he didnt even seem to understand why I felt like how I felt and why he should help reach out. Even just asking a question or checking in about whether I'd want to play would help. He also thinks I should've said something about 3 v 2 not working when he brought it up and that I should've just walked over and told him I want to switch. But the issue is that I felt like I couldn't say that 3v2 doesn't work when he said it right in front of his friend who is the reason that's the option. That to me is confrontational. And I don't have the boldness and confrontational ability to go up to someone and tell them to switch out with me. This is something that I've been workikg on slowly but its long and hard and sometimes I need the helping hand or just understanding after.
It's especially uppsetting because I accommodate his inability to ask people he doesn't know well questions and his inability to talk to strangers.
I just needed to talk about this somewhere. Thanjs for reading if you did. I know its inconsequential but it was heavy on my chest and I just needed to write it somewhere out to sonewhere. If you have advuce or comments feel free to share.
Hi,
I basically think that your partner should understand or atleast try to and put effort into understanding where you’re coming from.
but in case he does not, maybe try explaining him. But still if he doesn’t. Then you have two options:
let go or hold on.
hope the best for you
It sounds like you recognize you’re both working on your issues. Well at least you are; I’m hoping he too is working on maybe feeling more comfortable asking a stranger something if he needs to. It sounds like you go above and beyond to make sure you don’t create confrontation; I do too in many ways. But I think in this case the friend would’ve understood due to your height. I’m short and once a tall guy asked me to move the front seat up so his legs would have space in the car backseat and it sounds kind of similar. Because I’m short it didn’t bother me having less leg room in the same way it probably wouldn’t have bothered this guy being closer to the net. Maybe work on practicing ways that in the future if this happened you could politely address the issue so you don’t feel it’s confrontational. Practice ways of saying it that feel comfortable like “do you mind switching? It’s just because I’m shorter I can’t really play well at this position”