Bear has two hobbies: watching television, particularly if a ball is involved somehow, and me.
Occasionally this drives me crazy. Like when I want to finish reading my book and he wants my attention. Or when I want to share something I love like art or the theater and he has no interest. But especially when I have to buy him a present for something. Every time a holiday rolls around I end up begging him to take up bird watching, or road cycling, or chess. Anything that involves related presents I could buy for him. Instead he ends up getting that new pair of shoes he’s been needing but putting off, or underwear. I wrack my brain and that’s the best I can come up with.
But usually I recognize his habits as the tremendous gift they are. I will never be a hobby widow. Bear will never divert money from our household expenses so he can have a new toy. He’ll never lose our lifesavings after a round of Texas Hold Em. He’ll never abandon me for a night out with the boys. In one of the areas we lived, all the wives would get together and scrapbook for an evening, and the husbands would all drag their computers out and play Counterstrike. For literally days at a time. Bear would try to hang with the crowd and be a good sport, but after a few hours he’d be clawing to get out. He never could understand the appeal, you don’t talk to anyone, you don’t move around, you just sit there, occasionally inhaling second hand smoke, and try to kill imaginary people. How does that compare to a night on the couch with your hot wife?
Yes, I know. I’ve got it good.
Today being Bear’s day off, he had to deposit his paycheck in the bank because his place of employment is actually archaic enough to not offer direct deposit. So he let me sleep in, put a tape in for General Conference, and hoped a bus to the bank. Then he had an hour to kill while he waited for the next bus, so he decided to go to the mall, and buy me a present. He decided that we were due for a little splurge with how tight we’ve been living, and he thought the best way that he could splurge would be to buy me something special. Gosh I love the way this man’s mind works.
So he went to the bookstore but didn’t see anything readily displayed and felt in over his head. So he went to the media store to buy me a DVD of one of my favorte TV shows but they were too expensive. So then, he went to the video game store and found a used copy of a platform game – Rayman 2 – that we could play together because that’s our idea of a great time. Because we are so L7, daddio.
And then. Knowing that I’ve been craving a steak so badly that I’m ready to go hunting myself (perish the thought!) he stopped at the barbeque place up the street and got tri-tip beef sandwiches. Made with freshly smoked meat. And an ice cold Coke. It was so good, I cried.
With my health as bad as it is, Jared has to do everything for me. Including, occasionally, bathe me. I sometimes feel guilty he got saddled with this, but his heart is so good, he just loves being needed.