AITA for Cleaning Out the Medicine Cabinet: The Saga of Expired Pills and Unwanted Shame Videos
Grab your popcorn, folks, because today we’re diving into a tale straight from the wild world of Reddit’s r/AITA, and let me tell you, this one’s a doozy. It’s the story of a well-meaning husband, a cluttered medicine cabinet, and a video that sparked a reaction hotter than a ghost pepper.
Picture this: Our protagonist, a 57-year-old gentleman, has been wed to his lovely bride, 52, for a solid three decades. Now, anyone who’s crossed the threshold into marital bliss knows that cohabitation often leads to the accumulation of…stuff. And when I say “stuff,” I mean the kind of stuff that lurks in the shadows of bathroom cabinets, gathering dust and wondering why it exists.
On a fateful day, our hero decides to channel his inner Marie Kondo and tackle the medicine cabinet. It’s a bold move, one that promises to banish expired medication and duplicate items galore. He finds himself knee-deep in four bags of cough drops that have no business coexisting, and three bottles of Ibuprofen that could probably be put to better use at a minor league football game.
So what does this modern-day Mr. Clean do? He whips out his smartphone and starts documenting his decluttering escapade. But here’s where things take a turn more dangerous than an icy sidewalk in February. He not only records the entire process but also gives a full-on TED Talk, complete with explanations about expiration dates and suggestions for future medication monitoring.
Now, in a move he thinks is thoughtful, he sends this three-minute cinematic masterpiece to his wife. Cue the soundtrack of impending doom.
Upon receiving the video, Mrs. Clean-Up’s initial reaction isn’t exactly a standing ovation. In fact, she’s so fired up she could roast marshmallows with her fury. Her choice words break the sound barrier as she accuses him of attempting to shame her in front of her digital colleagues. She goes so far as to share the video with her workmates, who, unsurprisingly, side with her in the ‘who’s-the-asshole’ debate. Ouch, that’s got to sting more than a paper cut doused in lemon juice.
He Said, She Said… and Said Again
Our medicine-cabinet warrior insists he wasn’t shaming her; he was merely informing her. I mean, to err is human, and with so many duplicated meds, a little clarity seemed harmless…right?
Our dear wife counters with a high octane rebuttal. She asserts that if managing expired medications was such a high priority, he could’ve taken it upon himself to regularly check instead of orchestrating this video stunt. She sees his actions as less helpful house-husband, more passive-aggressive pill-pitcher.
The jury of Reddit shoppers of questionable remedies weighed in, and wouldn’t you know it? Many of them are in step with Mrs. Medicine Cabinet, seeing the video as a not-so-subtle sprinkle of salt on the wound.
Roger’s Sassy Verdict
Alright, let’s dissect this with the precision of an over-caffeinated surgeon. On one hand, it’s hard to fault our protagonist for wanting to avoid potentially harmful expired medications. Safety first, and all that jazz. But honey, you need to ease up on the documentaries.
Here are some power moves you both can learn from:
In conclusion, is our protagonist an asshole? Not exactly. But is he guilty of a severe case of foot-in-mouth syndrome with a side order of miscommunication? Absolutely. Consider it a lesson in the fine art of tact.
Remember, the road to unnecessary drama is paved with expired medicine and good intentions. Now, carry on with your day, and may your cabinets be clutter-free and your communication crystal clear.
Original story
I (57 yo male) have been married to my wife (52 yo female) for 30 years. Today, while my wife was at work, I decided to clean out the medicine cabinet.
I noticed that there were a lot of medications that were expired and lots of repeats. For example, we had 4 bags of cough drops, 3 bottle of Ibuprofen, etc.
I decided to throw away the expired medications and throw away the extras. As I did so, I made a video of the process and pointed out the expiration dates on all of the medications and pointed out the repeats.
I videoed myself throwing these items away and explained calmly why these medications needed to be monitored more closely in the future. The video was about 3 minutes long.
I then sent the video to my wife so that she could see what I did. I was surprised when she called me back, very upset, asking why I hated her so much.
She accused me of trying to shame her and said she couldn’t understand why I was being so hateful. She told me that if I had been so concerned about our medication cabinet that I should have been monitoring it on a daily or weekly basis and that if I was that concerned about cleaning out the medicine cabinet, I would have just done it without making a shame video.
I told her that I was not attempting to shame her, but rather to inform her. She told me that she showed the video to some of her coworkers, and they agreed with her that I was the asshole.
So who is right? AITA?