Page 4 - MidWeek - June 29, 2022

4 MIDWEEK JUNE 29, 2022
My Life Sucks
You might find it odd that I’m so enamored with vacu- uming. Actually, there’s a great explanation for it. I liken vacuuming to mowing the lawn or ironing clothes. It’s instant gratification, as you can see neatly cut rows of grass or wrinkles being pressed into flat material. With vacuuming, you can hear all the dirt and grime as it travels up the hose and you can see a path of clean floor or carpet behind you.
How will you celebrate Fourth of July?
Ihave some sad news to report. After 15 years of loy- al service, our (my) Dyson upright vacuum cleaner finally gave out.
At the time I bought it, it was quite an investment. I put it on a payment plan with Sears and apparently, it outlived the store.
It was one of the best investments I’ve ever made. It’s probably on the top of my list of the five most valuable things ever bought for our household:
KRISTYN TAKAI
Human Resources Specialist, Honolulu
“Eating good food with even greater company.”
RIDGE HAYASHI
Entrepreneur, Honolulu
“I will be throwing a barbecue party full of sushi, seafood, steak,
and Thrills ice cream — mukbang style, of course. The food coma will be real, so I will be rolling into July 5.”
VICKI CHAU
Case Worker, ‘Aiea
“No set plans yet, but most likely barbecuing with family and friends at home or at the beach.”
ALLEN MICHAEL DEGUIA
Kitchen Manager, ‘Ewa Beach “I like to throw on my
red, white and blue board shorts, head to the beach with a bunch of family friends and grill up a barbecue to some Hawaiian country songs.”
No. 1 — Dyson upright vacuum cleaner
No. 2 — Keurig coffee maker
No. 3 — cold and hot bottled water dispenser
No. 4 — Craftsman corded drill
No. 5 — Eero wireless router
It goes without saying that our air conditioners and
LED televisions are already in my household hall of fame. Might as well throw in my wife and daughter’s hair “utensils,” namely their hair dryers and curling irons.
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G Act Your Spirit
rowing up, I used to hear “act your age!” When I was being silly, it was “act your age.” When I didn’t do a chore, it was “act your age.” At
what point did my behavior align with my age? I can hardly remember.
However, when I turned 50, I do remember think- ing I didn’t really know how to “act” 50 because I didn’t feel 50. Do I dress more conservatively? Be more mature? Stop reinventing myself? The answers never came.
Yet now, as I near 60, I’ve figured it out. I need to “act my spirit” instead. It makes me feel alive. Age is finite. Our spirit is infinite. So, it’s OK to start over and go for it. Try something new. Be silly. Ditch a chore. Get rid of the “shoulds.” Live, while you still have life to live. Act your spirit.
alice@yourhappinessu.com
It’s kind of a Zen thing like washing your own car. Nothing else exists; you are one with the vacuum clean- er. Of course, my wife and daughter have zero problem with my infatuation because that means they don’t have to do it.
When my Dyson died, I went through the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and ac- ceptance. When I finally hit acceptance, I came upon the realization that I could buy a new one.
I checked our family budget and figured that if I cut out a few streaming services, we could afford a top- of-line new Dyson. I went for the Dyson Ball Animal 2 in racing blue. I would have to wait a day or two for doorstep delivery. No problem, as I also own a cordless Dyson handheld vacuum for our cars.
I tried to vacuum our living room with it, which was like scrubbing floors with a toothbrush. I found my mom’s old Hokie push sweeper and was reminded how we cleaned floors pre-Dyson. Or, as my daughter would say, “in the olden days.”
rnagasawa@midweek.com