Still Learning

by Amy Platon

So my husband turned 40 this year and I couldn’t afford to get him a mid-life crisis sports car. And before I could do anything like that, I would have to make sure that the bucket seats had the right lumbar support for his aching back. He also turned down my request to throw him a really-great live-band birthday-bash to honor the occasion. Guess that’s why most of the 40th BD parties are of the surprise variety.

So, what did I get for him? You ask. Well, I got him two tickets to see a dinosaur exhibit/show, which he really liked because he secretly wanted to be a paleontologist as a kid. Only back then he called it diggin’ in the dirt for bones (how do I say that in Tagalog?). Thing is, he had a last minute flight scheduled for the same day as the show so my plan turned to unexcavated dust.

But this guy is super understanding and so I just left it at that. I showed him all the pictures of the event when he got home, and he added a couple of months to his growing calendar.

So when Christmas rolled around, I had just the gift for him.

It was the tall present tucked way in the back of the tree, and the last one he opened. The card read, “To my hero.” He opened it to find that I had bought him Guitar Hero for my son’s WII game system. It turns out that that gift has taught me a lot about my husband (and about myself).

First, I am incredibly impressed (and a little turned on) at just how good he is. In this game you have a guitar in your hands and you have to play the keys shown on the screen correctly to earn points. When you play the songs right, you are rewarded with more songs to choose from with increasing difficulty. The game has you build on your skills, just like in “real life.”

When I get my hands on the guitar and play, I have the option to hang out in the “easy songs” section or play some of the harder songs that he has opened up. But I choose to play the same three songs over and over again. My husband plays differently than I do. He is in constant pursuit of the next song.

I realized that that’s how we are different in life too. I’m the one trying to sharpen my skills, trying to fine tune my instrument while he, already good at what he does, pumps out work at a high rate of speed, with accuracy, but in constant pursuit of the next project.

It’s also the difference in how we drive. He’s the one that wants to just get there and I want to let the people into my lane. It’s the difference in how we shop too. He wants to stick to the list and I want to look around.

We’ve been married six years (Jan 19th) and together 11 years. I’m really surprised to have only now put my finger on how differently we approach life. Discovering this was like nailing my favorite song on Guitar Hero. Which for anyone who has played knows what a feeling that is. For me it’s a forward kick, standing jumps (usually three), a couple of head tilts, a punch to the air, and a verbal accolade “You Rock!” Words that are usually always followed by my husband, coming around from some corner saying, “Can I get a turn?”

I slip the strap over my head and hold out the guitar with a wink, “Yeah babe, do your thing.”


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