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Nshima & Curry

Melvin's  Blog

Nshima & Curry

AN ARROWSMITH RECORD WE CAN DANCE TO

If you're a sports fan, you've probably marveled at a
variety of accomplishments, such as Phil Jackson's nine NBA
titles, Tiger Woods' nine major championships, and David
Beckham's nine stunning tattoos.

But if you really want to be impressed, check out what Percy
and Florence Arrowsmith have accomplished: 80 years of
marriage.

That's a tremendous feat, especially when most Hollywood
marriages crumble before the ink has dried on the prenuptial
agreement. As one actor said, "Eighty years of marriage!
Wow! I'd be happy with 80 days of marriage."

As reported by the Associated Press, the Arrowsmiths, of
Hereford, England, tied the knot on June 1, 1925. It was
such a long time ago that their wedding picture was etched
on the wall of a cave. Florence wore lambskin; Percy a fig
leaf. He also had a bow, though he left his arrows at home.

Percy, now 105, and Florence, 100, have set two Guinness
World Records: Longest marriage for a living couple and
oldest aggregate age for a married couple. As one athlete
said, "That's amazing. Two world records and they've never
even touched steroids."

I can't even imagine being married 80 years. I got married
in my mid-30s, somewhat late in life, so I'd be happy to
enjoy 40 years of marital bliss, preferably with the same
woman.

According to the AP article, the Arrowsmiths say the key to
a long marriage is to never take an argument to bed. They
always kiss and hold hands before falling asleep. I've heard
many old couples say this, but it's hard to put into
practice, at least for me. I've often wanted to hold my
wife's hand after an argument, but our bed and couch are too
far apart. Perhaps I need a nine-foot pole.

I've been married only five years, but I've already learned
some keys to a lasting marriage:

---Have a poor memory: This may seem like a bad thing,
especially if you can't remember your wedding anniversary or
where you put the darn Viagra. But it's also a major
benefit, the sole reason many marriages survive. When people
ask me if I ever fight with my wife, I can honestly say, "I
don't remember the last time we screamed at each other."
Unfortunately, my three-year-old daughter has a sharp
memory: "It was this morning, Daddy, during breakfast. Don't
you remember? You complained about the eggs and Mom said,
'If you don't shut up, you're not getting any tonight.' And
I asked why you'd want eggs at night."

---Say you're sorry: No matter who's at fault, you shouldn't
hesitate to say you're sorry. Take, for example, an Indian
couple named Raj and Rani. Whenever Raj makes a mistake,
Rani says she's sorry.

Raj: "Whoops. Looks like I forgot to pay our electric bill
again. We just got a shut-off notice."

Rani: "Oh, Raj! I'm really sorry you're so careless. And I'm
also sorry I married you."

---Try to grow together: This is perhaps the best piece of
advice I've received. My wife and I have grown so much
together. I'm especially proud of the peas and tomatoes.

---Show your love in various ways: I show my love by making
tea so my wife doesn't have to, by doing the dishes so my
wife doesn't have to, and by keeping up with the latest
football news so my wife doesn't have to.

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