On Decisions

How do two married introverts make decisions? One might think that they do so maturely and analytically, and talk it out. Some might revert to rock-paper-scissors in a pinch, in our house we play "pick a number". For example, Friday night we were debating where to go to dinner, and we had it narrowed down to three choices: Mikata (our favorite hibachi/sushi place), this new hibachi/sushi place that just opened, and the new Red Robin "gourmet" burger chain that just opened. So of course, being the mature 30-something couple that we are, I scrambled the three choices in my head and told my wife to pick a number between one and three. The order for the first go was New Hibachi-Mikata-Red Robin and my wife picks #2. When I told her Mikata, she said "wait, you know I always pick #2, use different numbers".

So I shook them up in my head again (which is hard for me being an analyst and not an abstract/spatial type of person, you know; heaven forbid had there been a fourth choice I would have screwed them all up in the time it took her to choose): Mikata-New Hibachi-Red Robin as 4-5-6. She picked #4. When I told her Mikata, she said, quite unenthusiastically, "oh OK". So, I said something to the effect of look, two of our restaurants on the list are new, one is old. So do you want to go try a new restaurant or an old one, that will narrow our choices down. She said new. OK, throw out Mikata. So then it became hibachi vs. burger joint, which ultimately made our decision for us because there is never a wait at a hibachi joint, and (contrary to popular theory) there will always be a looooong-ass wait at any new chain restaurant in Columbus Georgia. The natives here are nothing if not predictable. They like chain restaurants, Wal Mart, and running right through red lights and sitting there picking their nose when it turns green.

So ultimately, the "pick a number" thing was useless, but it at least gave us a starting point. It helped just to pick a place and then our gut reaction will tell us whether or not we really wanted that or if we had our heart set on something else. But often times it's just that first pick that is the hardest.

We were in the cereal aisle in Publix the other week and we were doing "pick a number" and an old lady walked by and said "you guys must be young". She said some other things too but I can't remember exactly, but in talking with her she was just flummoxed that we were as old as we were and playing "pick a number" to make decisions. OK so we wouldn't do that if we were, say, buying a house or deciding on where to live. But Frosted Flakes or Fruit Loops? Perfect. What movie to go see? Perfect. Tombstone pizza or leftover spaghetti? Perfect!