Waffles & Spaghetti

Most Olivet alums around my age will remember the infamous "Waffles & Spaghetti" chapel. The theory is that men are like waffles--each part of their life is a square that does not touch another. The work waffle is separate from the family waffle, and so on. Women, on the other hand, are like a plate of spaghetti. Every incident somehow connects. We can start out worried about getting to work on time, and it can snowball into a total meltdown about the state of our marriage. As much as we joked about that topic, I really enjoyed that lesson on the differences between men and women--especially when I realized how perfectly Mike & I fit those stereotypes. It saved me a lot of grief in the early stages of our relationship.

When we first started dating, I would look for any "accidental" run-in with Mike I could manage on campus. Always, Mike would give me a smile and a hug, but I remember being hurt sometimes when he seemed to stop for only a minute and then rush on his way. In my typical "spaghetti" manner, I would take one short incident and weave it together until I'd convinced myself that he didn't like me anymore. Then, a light bulb went off--waffles. Mike was merely in his "class" waffle at the time, and he couldn't just switch to "girlfriend" waffle. That saved us petty fights and hurt feelings in a big way.

Since we've been married, I've noticed our food stereotypes in an even bigger way. Back at that chapel, the wife encouraged all of us ladies to actively take part in whatever our husbands' interest was. If he loves football, watch and learn about football. If he loves cars, go out into the garage with him. For me, that means video games, video games, and more video games.

Even though my generation grew up with game console after game console, I was never really into the XBOX and Playstation scene. In fact, when we got an XBOX, I tolerated it because of Netflix (with a little Guitar Hero thrown in). Then, Mike introduced me to the Legos games. First, came Indiana Jones; then, Harry Potter; followed quickly by Batman. I was hooked! Yes, I know it's a kid's game, but I had fun collecting pieces, punching things into oblivion, and most of all, spending time with my husband.

Mike's newest game acquisition has been Call of Duty: Black Ops. I've watched him play it with my brothers-in-law from both sides of the family, but I was absolutely not interested. First-person shooter/online multiplayer war games are not exactly my thing. Last Saturday, though, I decided to give it a shot.

I was not good. I am a horrible multitasker, so playing with two joysticks can be a little much (aka, I ran into a lot of walls and got stuck in a lot of corners). Somehow, though, I've managed to get it together enough to play on the easiest level. Sometimes, I actually have more kills than deaths! Even my brother-in-law, Matt, was willing to play with me, so I must not be totally awful!

The best part of the experience though? Spending time with my husband in one of his favorite "waffle squares." That makes every moment worthwhile.