Page 4 - MidWeek - Dec 15, 2021

4 MIDWEEK DECEMBER 15, 2021
What’s your favorite holiday memory?
Eye Of The Beholder
ARon is on medical leave. This column originally ran Dec. 14, 2016.
fter much contemplation, I have decided that my marriage is one giant test. It’s the SAT of life, only my beautiful wife tests me every single day. Every
decision I make based on some question my wife asks me can set the course for an entire day, or even a week if I’m especial- ly stupid. Don’t get me wrong. I’m happily married (example of a correct answer) and would not have it any other way.
ROSS ANDERSON
Restaurant Owner, Mānoa
“My uncle and dad got
an old trailer, filled it with hay, and towed us around the neighborhood with an old 1940s Jeep. We sang Christmas carols and the neighbors came out to greet us with cookies, cocoa and treats.”
ROXANNE MANUEL
Administrative Assistant, Honolulu
“Our yearly visit to see our family on the mainland (pre-COVID). Now, I miss traveling.”
MICHAEL MILLER
Director of Operations, Kāne‘ohe
“I remember as a kid, waking up and seeing snow on Haleakalā, Maui. My parents drove us up to the snow to play in it, and then my Mom made hot cocoa for us.”
ALLISON TONG
Account Supervisor, Honolulu
“Picking out a tree and decorating with my mom. I love unpacking ornaments, finding the perfect spot for each one, and remembering all the happy holiday memories that come with them.”
A daily test is when she asks me what I want to eat for dinner. That’s when the computer in my brain goes into over- drive. By the way, that computer in my brain is a Commodore 64 from 1982. I will reference my “second-guessing” folder to try to figure out what my wife would like to eat. That’s because if I really told her what I want, like pizza or fried chicken, it would be a dinner she could not partake in because she’s on a diet. I’m on a diet, too, so this is a good thing, and I’ll defer to answering, “A salad would be great, sweetheart!”
Another daily test occurs after she talks to me while I’m watching something good on TV. For example, I’ll be watch- ing an NFL Titans game with our “boy” Marcus Mariota. Naturally, I’m glued to the television, and my wife will sit next to me and start telling me a story about something that just happened at work. Sometimes I think she does that on purpose to test me on what is more important: her or the dumb game on TV. I will then try to split the hard drive in my brain and look at her while trying to listen to the play action. She knows that my attention percentage is 60/40 and when a commercial comes on, asks me, “What did I just say?” If I don’t repeat verbatim everything she just said, it’s game over.
Ron Nagasawa
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ARethinking Gift-giving
t the end of every year, we think about gifts and consider to whom and what we give, and how much we want to spend. Polls show that
the average American spent more than they wanted to (more than $800) on holiday gifts last year, and that 70% would give up Christmas gift-giving if they had the choice.
For you, has gift-giving become a dreaded “chore”? If not, and you enjoy it, keep doing it. However, if it’s become a drag, why continue? Send a loving message to those people (you know who they are) saying, “In- stead of exchanging physical gifts this year, let’s simply gift each other with positive thoughts instead. Thank you for your friendship throughout the years.” It’s not easy to initiate, but something to consider if you’ve lost the gift-giving joy.
alice@yourhappinessu.com
The other day I received a new test. Of course, we’re in the Christmas season, and so my wife and daughter have been shopping for our families and friends. Naturally, there are great bargains out there, so some of the purchases are for themselves. I guess they were trying on their purchases while I was reading. Suddenly, my wife exclaimed, “How do I look?” She had on the gaudiest-looking top, nothing like her usual stylish wardrobe. Again, I went to my brain computer but I had maxed out on random access memory. I put on my best smile of approval and said, “Wow, that looks wonderful on you!” She glared at me and said, “Are you serious? This is for our ugliest Christmas sweater contest at work!”
Ladies and gentlemen, I just got served. I tried to salvage it by saying that she can make anything look good, but she wasn’t having any of that. That’s when she threw in the final exam test question: “Does this sweater make me look fat?”
rnagasawa@midweek.com