Last week, as usual, I was scrambling to find a topic for this column. Some weeks I’m prepared and ready to go, but other times I push myself to the limit.

We had just finished lunch at my grandma’s house when inspiration struck — or, more accurately, lay unassumingly on the table.

As I do at practically every meal, I ate with a pair of chopsticks. I’ve never thought about writing about these simple yet perfect utensils because I use them all the time, at practically every meal and beyond.

Sometimes it’s the obvious things that are the most overlooked.

I am almost never without a pair of chopsticks — in my handbag, in my car, at my work desk. I can’t remember when I started doing it, but they’ve become a necessity.

I’m more comfortable with chopsticks than with any other utensil. Chalk it up to my local-slash-half-Japanese upbringing, but at some point in my adulthood I realized how much easier it is to eat with chopsticks (“hashi” in Japanese).

IN MY mind, there are very few things that can’t be tackled with hashi. Soup is obviously one, but fortunately I’m not a fan. Other hard-to-grab items, like corn or chickpeas, rarely cross my plate. Ice cream? Chopsticks work just as well as a spoon, as long as dessert hasn’t already melted.

Some things are just easier to eat with hashi. Salad is a breeze to pick up, as is pasta. If you’ve never tried to eat snacks like popcorn or potato chips with chopsticks, you’re missing an opportunity to keep your hands clean while enjoying your favorite treat.

Another great thing about chopsticks is they can function in nonfood capacities as well. I’ve used them in my car to fish out items that have fallen into impossible- to-reach places; if you need to splint something, chopsticks can do the trick. They’re also great as mini garden stakes.

My hashi habit has gotten to the point where I base handbag purchases on whether the purse under consideration can fit a pair of chopsticks.

I’M TALKING about the basic Longs Drugs wooden chopsticks. With apologies to environmentalists, those are the ones I use most often — even though I have many sets of fancier reusable hashi. The simplest flat version (versus the “nicer” rounded, tapered kind) fit better in handbags, and I do try to make them last as long as possible.

Sure, some people shoot me odd looks when I reach into my bag and haul out a pair of hashi, but I’ve gotten over those stares. I’d rather chow down with chopsticks than fumble with a fork (true story on several occasions). And once those people see me munching on chips with clean hands, they’re inspired to grab some chopsticks too.

“She Speaks” is a column by women writers of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Reach Celia Downes at cdownes@staradvertiser.com.