A post on a topic I never thought I would write about.
Before my health check-up last week I had to complete a 14-page questionnaire, which I waded through dutifully.
Initially there were some worrying questions such as:
Do you suffer from pain or discomfort in your chest?
Have you coughed up pink froth or blood recently?
Have you noticed moles which itch, bleed or are changing or enlarging?
Later on there were questions on how I perceived my quality of life. So I had to agree or disagree with the following statements:
I am a good person and live a good life
I lead a purposeful and meaningful life
I am engaged and interested in my daily activities
I actively contribute to the happiness and well-being of others
I am competent and capable in the activities that are important to me
People respect me
I am optimistic about my future
My social relationships are supportive and rewarding.
If there is one aspect to my health that is perfect, it is that I have consistent blood pressure. Throughout the 25 years that I have actively monitored this, my blood pressure registers almost always at 120/80. But questions such as the above caused much stress because I can neither agree nor disagree with them.
It all depends on whether we are talking about housework.
I lead a purposeful and meaningful life: agree when I cook a great meal, disagree when I have to clean the bathroom. I am engaged and interested in my daily activities: agree when I am walking in the park, disagree when doing the laundry. I actively contribute to the happiness and well-being of others: shouldn’t they be asking other people this question?
Then I got to I am optimistic about my future and here I felt a bit sad. I hate ironing and the current iron doesn’t quite do the job when it comes to cutting through the enormous pile of weekly ironing. Can I say that my social relationships are supportive and rewarding? Definitely not. No one else cares about the ironing, although everyone needs their shirts neatly pressed.
At some point I decided that enough was enough. Out with clunky and in with hunky. The new steam generator iron was very much a joint decision. Mr Gochugaru was sold on the idea that the steam could take the creases out of his suits, and I was sold on the idea that it could turn me into a much nicer person.
I am so enthusiastic about this new iron that I now actively look forward to the ironing. Sometimes, things can happen that really take you by surprise.
Philips Steam Generator Iron: see the Philips website for more details. There are several different models but the demonstrator in John Lewis said to avoid any irons at the entry level as they are heavier and more difficult to clean. You can opt for their latest model but my advice would be to purchase the previous version as the price would be much reduced, but the difference in performance would only be marginal. The money you save can go towards paying for the next health assessment.