Just whistle while you work,
and cheerfully together we can tidy up the place,
So hum a merry tune,
it won’t take long when there’s a song to help you set the pace.
That’s a lyric from the song Whistle While you Work. There is a scene in the Disney classic Snow White, where she is cleaning up the dwarfs’ cabin and she tells all the squirrels, birds and wildlife that if they whistle happily whilst doing their chores, it is much more enjoyable to get the job done.
I am not a big fan of whistling. If I had a co-worker sitting next to me who whistled continually throughout the day, I would need to move stations.
I have noticed a change in the workforce. Even before Covid, when I worked at KTW, many of my colleagues within earshot had headphones on while plunking away on their computers. I assumed they were listening to music or podcasts, but in reflection, I can’t help but wonder if they were only doing that to stop me from making conversation. It’s one thing to engage in a bit of chit chat, but whistling all day is something else.
I had feedback one time from a woman who said her date whistled too much on a hike. She found it irritating and decided not to have a second date. I had similar feedback from another lady who said her date hummed a lot.
Well, maybe the whistling and humming were out of nervousness on the first date.
I also had a woman tell me that a man made a weird sniffling sound that turned her off. I found it surprising that this was annoying enough for her to not consider seeing him again.
I will never forget the first time my son, who was 12 at the time, met my boyfriend, who later became my husband. The first words out of his mouth were, “Lucky you didn’t meet her during allergy season.”
I was pretty embarrassed, but it was a fair warning given that in May and June, I look like I got out of the boxing ring with Muhammad Ali and I sound like Marvin the Martian from Bugs Bunny.
But here’s the thing — my allergies last for two months of the year. It turns out my husband clears his throat and coughs 12 months of the year, due to what he says is a sinus condition. So, even though we both have these issues, we have found a way to live with them (for the most part, anyway).
One time, a woman told me a man had a weird voice on the phone, so she decided she didn’t want to meet him. I could understand if he sounded like Gilbert Gottfied, but for crying out loud, these deal-breakers are a little over the top.
I had a woman tell me she did not want to date a man who snores. The way I see it, by the time she would find out if he snores, they are hopefully very serious about each other and would find a way to make it work.
One thing very apparent about all of these complaints is they all come from women. I have never had a man tell me he is concerned about whistling, humming, throat clearing, snoring or weird voices. Thus far, it seems men are mostly concerned with one thing — they want to be really attracted to a woman. If a man finds a woman irresistible, he won’t care what her voice sounds like, or even if she whistles.
I understand these little things can lead to arguments and struggles at some point in a relationship. But how silly would it sound to get divorced over snoring or throat-clearing? The trick is to pick your battles and find solutions and compromises with which you can both live.
If you are happy, single and like humming a tune or whistling while you work, contact me by email at holmes@wheretheheartis.ca and maybe I have a Snow White waiting for you.
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