Why Comparing Apples and Oranges?

  I want to thank Facebook friend Richard Weatherly for this photo.

A reader asked what was the significance of my blog's title...Comparing Apples and Oranges. When I began to write this blog, I had no idea what I would choose to write about. I just knew I wanted it to be informative and entertaining. But, as they say, different folks need different strokes, so...

Comparing apples and oranges has to do with a long-standing difference between my husband and myself. He's a pessimist...his first answer is always "no" and first to point out the negative aspects of a discussion. I, on the other hand, have been called an optimist...usually willing to seek out the positive.

When a difference of opinion on a subject appears to come to a stand-off, our continued arguments fall on deaf ears because we are seeing the situation from two different perspective. Our only recourse when one or the other recognizes this, is to ease the tension by pointing out we are comparing apples with oranges. Over the years, we've come to an understanding...we basically agreed to disagree.

It's taken many years to come to this realization,but ever since we've started doing this, it's really ease the tension.

Thinking about this, I wondered how that aspect could be applicable to writing. How about developing those opposing viewpoints in two characters, each determined to convince the other of their rightness? And all the time they are really talking about two different aspects of the argument. Can't wait to find some place to try this out.