Aurelle is nervous. Having witnesses makes the whole ordeal seem more like an Event, and she wants it to go well. I am not sure if the teacher told them about the audience when they were building, or if the knowledge impacted the care with which they glued their towers together. But this morning twenty six year olds will have a front row seat for the destruction of a dozen balsa wood and paper edifices. 

I am one of a minority of people who have never watched a reality show. It never interested me to go find another house full of kids when I had my own. But I did wonder how the cameras influenced family life. Was everyone more polite? I doubt three year olds care who is watching when they are wailing about the wrong sippy cup. It never stopped my kids from letting it all hang out in the grocery store. But did the parents learn to speak benevolently?

Sometimes John and I provide support for couples who are having trouble finishing a conversation without going berserk. It is not as if we are fabulous communicators ourselves, but somehow the effect of having two people in the room is enough to help two grown ups behave. 

One time we were listening as a husband and wife talked about finances. She wanted to be in the loop about where the money was going, and it sounded like he had trouble letting go of his iron grip on the passwords. She asked calmly. He breathed slowly, and said yes. All we did was sit there. The next time we met they told us he had indeed followed through. 

A friend told me about her visit to a tropical island in Somalia me where the people live in houses with only three walls. All of their open sides face a common cooking area. It sounds like there is little of the privacy that we take for granted in my town. 

I wonder what their divorce rate is?