So I have a dirty, little housewife secret….I can’t stay away from watching the Real Housewives franchise. I went for almost six months earlier this year as an intervention to myself, because I found myself all too often catching up on episodes late at night or early in the morning when I couldn’t sleep.

I thought it was because I craved the DRAMA, the “Look ! See, my life is not nearly as bad as that!” Through all the knock-down, drag outs these eh, hemm, ladies entertain and shock us with, I recently discovered that there is a deeper lesson I have learned from them.

It started with a good friend recently who needed to have an awkward conversation with a friend. She felt that this other person was taking her for granted, wishing she would come out on her own and take care of her obligation without my friend having to ask her to (it should be that easy, huh?). You know the scenario, a friend or family promises something, i.e. money, help, etc., and when it’s time to pay up, they go on like it never happened. Or as on the RH shows, someone says something to another about your friend and it gets back to the them (it always does). Sometimes, it plays out in awkward social exchanges, where you could cut the tension with a knife—with the bystanders and audience captive in this unproductive standoff.

However, at other times,  and I notice this more with the east coast housewives, that someone gets miffed about something someone did and THEIR next step is to have a talk, or sit-down, if you wanna go old-school. The show producers like to do this with a group sit-down, which is always a recipe for disaster (an yes, tables may be thrown). However, when done between just the two friends, it can sometimes lead to resolution, well, maybe after a few seasons.

What I admire is the fact that these women have no qualms about confronting each other. I grew up in a family where the norm was to hold it in, or complain behind the other members’ back. I applaud their moxie to take the reigns toward an intention to clear the air. And face-to-face, no texts or voicemails that will always be misconstrued.

Why it is so hard to have open communication, even when you feel justified? Why is it easier to stay the injured party? I made a promise to try not to hide my true feelings and be more open how I feel. It’s the best way for me to keep me stress down and no one has to feel uncomfortable.

Now that I’ve confessed this secret to you, I feel much better.

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How awkward is it for you to confront someone on a situation? How did you resolve it? Please share your experience in the comments. 

Ciao for now,

—taraocity