I was ashamed of my own sex...

Last night I sat in my favourite chinese restaurant, having a lonely dinner with my magazine

In came two couples and they were seated at the table next to me. Both couples were in their 40's and 50's at a guess, well dressed and apparently well educated.

Snippets of the conversation drifted across - items in the news, a discussion on education, fuel prices..... and then an arguement started over the food. Well I can hardly call it an argument really - it was totally one sided!

One of the women began in an increasingly loud voice to denounce her husbands eating habits. Demands ranged from getting a move on with his meal, to stop being such a wimp, to eating the remaining food on the table. At no point did he defend himself or tell her where to get off.

You probably had to be there but the tone and style of the demands left me with an impression of a husband beater. I swear if he had not done as she bid she would have hit him there and then. I don't even talk to my children that way!!

I have every possible sympathy with beaten women - I have been lucky enough never to be there. But yesterday I gained a new empathy for bullied and beaten men.

I felt embarrased for both of them - who knows what that poor guy was going through - or worse - maybe he no longer registers the issue through years of contempt and disrespect.

The food as usual was excellent though!