Monday, December 10, 2012

Of Crispy Chicken and Spectacles

"You are a good husband." I was affirmed, twice last week. I must have done some things right.

Let me begin with the first story that led to the affirmation.

It has to do with crispy chicken. Yes, and to be specific, 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken ... er, no, they not sponsoring this blog or me!

I heard so much about those pieces of barbequed wings and drum-lets from Michelle. In fact, she like them enough to have asked me a couple of times to buy some for her whenever I got of the MRT at Orchard station; 4 Fingers has an outlet at Ion Orchard.

At her requests, I will go the outlet to try to get those crispy chicken. But for every time I did that, the queue was very long, typically 15 in line. Moreover, I observed that the time taken to deliver after an order is placed is also long. Apparently, they bbq the meat on the spot.

Since neither she nor I found the long wait meaningful, I have never succeeded to give her those coveted meat, that is, until last week.

Last Thursday, I got out of the train at Orchard Station and as I was walking towards her salon at Far East Plaza, I suddenly remembered that Michelle would love to sink her teeth into some crispy chicken. She did not ask me to buy some this time; she could have given up.

But I know that she would like to taste it. So, I diverted into the basement to where the 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken outlet was. Again there was a queue at the counter. I felt blessed this time - only 4 hungry mouths in front of me.

Still, it took more than 20 minutes from the time I joined the queue till when the staff handed me the prize. While I was waiting, Michelle called anxiously as she had expected me to have arrived at her shop sooner. The clock was ticking away and we needed to make the next appointment at church.

"Where are you now?" she asked, "it is getting late."

With a sense of joyful anticipation, I answered, "Waiting in line to buy you crispy chicken."

"No need, no need, come quickly and let's go off" she replied, rather impatiently.

"Er, I have placed my order, I am just waiting for it to be ready," I replied.

Before hanging up, she said, "Aiyah, ok ok. See you."

As soon as I was handed the chicken, I walked as quickly as I could without attracting undue attention from the after-office-hour crowd. I walked hastily, but with a whistle in my heart (yes, my heart whistles) in anticipation of seeing the satisfaction in her eyes as she tastes the chicken.

Finally, I entered her salon. She was all ready to leave. I wasn't sure if she was going to bring the whole box of chicken home to eat. It wouldn't taste as nice by then, I thought.

She decide to take a piece right away. Great.

Then she took another piece, and another ... I wasn't left out of the "feast". I saw her satisfaction in her eyes. "Hmm ... she could be pleased quite easily," I thought.

Michelle was pleased indeed. I could see that she was pleased not because the chicken tasted good, but because I bought her the chicken. I remembered she wanted to taste it. I bought it without her asking me.

"You are a good husband." she said, as she savored the last piece of the crispy chicken.

More importantly, I know that she was pleased because I have her in my mind ... even for that little thing. I felt good!

"What's the big deal over buying some pieces of chicken for your wife," you may say.

No big deal. But my wife felt loved and I felt good ... the chicken wings were only a conduit.

Second story.

Over lunch with a good friend on Tuesday, I commented that he looked good in his new pair of spectacles. He asked me what happened to my new pair of spectacles as I was wearing an older pair.

I told him that I made a deliberate decision that day to wear the old pair as I was out with Michelle in the morning. She did not quite like the look of my face in the new pair, despite her being party to the choice we made. So, when I go out with her, I wear the pair she likes and when I go out without her, I wear the other pair.

"You are a good husband", he commented.

"What's the big deal over wearing which pair of spectacles", you may muse again.

No big deal. I want to make my wife happy. I am happy that she is happy. Again, the pair of spectacles was just another conduit for me to put my wife's interest before mine.

Try it - that is, putting your spouse's interest before you. No matter how small the issue may be, it will help you to do the same when you come to bigger issues.


Great lovers consider their spouse's interest before their own.

Steven

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