Ahaaaaaaaaaa! There it is in red capital letters right on the back of this large tube of Crest toothpaste — right where there is a big thumb indention where my wife, the last to use it, pushed out her bit of “Whitening Plus Scope” from the middle of the tube – FOR BEST RESULTS, SQUEEZE TUBE FROM THE BOTTOM AND FLATTEN AS YOU GO UP .
Could anyone or anything be any clearer? Come now, “FROM THE BOTTOM?” I mean, isn’t that pretty much “End of discussion?”
Come on… admit it: This is huge. After all these years of debate, there it is, right on the back of the tube, printed as instructions, for heaven’s sake, in red and white! Who can argue with that?
Wait-a-minute. Why am I not feeling any better about this? Why has all this gloating started to feel ugly? I thought winning would be a lot more fun than this. You mean, there could be something better than being right?
How about being together…?
John Fischer The Catch 
Ha ha!!! Somewhere in this there is an episode of Seinfeld! Where we battle over the silly insignificant things. And then we get too stubborn to admit they really are insignificant. Don’t we say indignantly “well it matters to ME, I just can’t live with that”!! It looks to me like you two have managed!!!
As usual, you have hit the nail om the head, John. (If this were on Facebook, I would “like”.)
A very wise friend of mine asks the following question when any one of us is getting into the critical/controlling mode:
“Would you rather be right than happy?”
I would rather be happy, but old habits die hard for me. I pray God on a regular basis to remove this defect of character from me!
I’m just so pleased someone else actually uses the same small binder clip that I use to manage their toothpaste tube roll-up. Finally, I have justification! I can say, “See, I was right. John Fischer does it, too.” Bless you, brother.
I can think of at least one other widely read publication that has unmistakeable directions written in red letters. It too, is widely ignored…..
I never thought about using a paper clip to keep the toothpaste tube rolled up. Now that I think about it, seems a little obsessive to me. Anybody else think that??? Thanks, John, for always keeping us thinking.
The picture isn’t mine. I picked it up off Google images. Not a bad idea, though.
Ha! It’s all about WORDS, John! I remember during a children’s worship service, our pastor sharing the toothpast message with our children. He showed the tube – squeezed the paste out & asked the kids to put it back in the tube. None could – his point exactly…once you squeeze the words out of your mouth you can’t put them back in! I guess you were experiencing that when you weren’t feeling any better about being right! lol 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (New International Version)
11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Toothpaste facts – cost – Tescos ( a British version of Walmart) – £1 (say $1 & 50 cents), content 100ml, amount used per ‘session’ – 1 ml, cost per ‘session’ 1p (or 1 1/2 cents). Yet how many times are we caught squeezing the last pennies worth out the tube? How can we be so concerned about something as cheap as toothpaste yet squander other much more precious resources even life itself! The need to be right may well be waste of time and effort – there’s plenty of other ways in which we seem to be wasting our God given time.
I feel there’s an even more basic response to addressing the differences we have–buy 2, not out of motivation for material wealth but because it meets others where they are. Jesus MET the woman at the well. He WENT to the people to heal and teach them. We ask for water (squeeze from the end), He gives us eternal live (a rich, long, harmonious marriage). My husband and I each have our own tube of toothpaste; I’m the binder clip (thanks to a hint in Real Simple magazine) all-natural toothpaste user, he’s a Colgate squeeze-where-I-want user. I like Miracle Whip, he Best Foods and you’ll find both in the fridge. He likes blue cheese, I like vinaigrette and you’ll find about 6 different varieties of salad dressing in there too. He likes French’s yellow mustard, I like Gulden’s brown. You get the drift. Grandma was right, variety is to be the spice of life, not the thing that divides us.
My husband and I have come to realize over the years “it’s not about being right but it’s all about the relationship”. This certainly is applicable to other relationships.
This wisdom came from a non-believer and in one case that little phrase restored a family relationship. Praise the Lord!
Our righteouness (rightness) is as filthy rags. So thankful He gave us his righteouness. Somehow having His and not mine is satisfying. But when I “win” and I’m proven right, it rings so hollow. You used humor but I sadly spent years arguing with my sweet husband on so many little things. Looking back I feel such regret. But we can change and I do better now and hubby, by the grace of God ,stayed around to see the change. I’m so thankful to God that he keeps helping us to change and grow. And for his mercies new each morning and that he forgives our sins of arguing and forgets them so we can live without guilt.
I think you all are missing the point. Back when toothpaste tubes were made of heavy foil (or similiar substance) it was important to squeeze from the bottom; because if you didn’t and you squeezed from the top, you couldn’t get the stuff in the bottom out. The tube would be sealed forever in the center. With the new plastic tubes, it doesn’t really matter. It doesn’t seal in the middle any more.
How important is it?
This may be a bit trivial, but it has taken you how many years of marriage to reach this decision?? We men are sometimes too focused, aren’t we? That is what grace is for. We tell our wives I’m sorry, and then the day can start.
Yep, fought the same battle over the same commodity and… eventually… came to the same conclusion. Thank God and I thank my wife for their patience!
I just loved this “Catch”–it made me grin from ear to ear! In fact, I’m still smiling five minutes after reading it.
In my accountability group, one of the ladies talks about the litte guy who sits on her shoulder and says, “You’re right! You’re right!” Most of the time, what she’s right about really isn’t that important in light of eternity. And more often than not, forcing the issue leads to bad feelings between her and the other person.
Funny–I seem to have a little guy like that, too…
Thanks for making us think–yet again–Brother John!