Just saw the movie Love and Other Drugs the other day with a single female cousin. Anne Hathaway is beautiful, fabulous and gorgeous. Jake Gyllenhaal oozes charm and hunkiness hot enough to melt the polar ice caps without the aid of global warming. Together, their chemistry was unbeatable. Of course, that is nothing new to fans who adored the loveteam in the award winning movie Brokeback Mountain
Love and other drugs is about a brilliant but happy go lucky guy who has been afraid of commitment all his life. A medical representative for a pharmaceutical company, he can charm the pants off of anyone regardless of gender but runs away at the first signs of a growing relationship.
Then he meets a girl just like him. Girl just wants a roll in the hay and wham, bam, thank you mam. No commitments, no meeting with parents and friends. Boy is intrigued by this female version of him. He falls in love. She falls in love.
Then fate throws a curve. Turns out our heroine has Parkinson’s disease. Boy can’t deal with. Girl goes all self sacrificing and throws him out because “I can’t hold you back in your career” and all that crap. They part ways. End of story. Nah! This is the movies after all. Of course they get back together and live, although maybe not so happily, ever after.
But I digress. My cousin and I are single and we are approaching that certain age in Philippine culture when the last trip in the nuptial train is about to leave us behind. I asked her. “Would you rather have someone to love and take care of in sickness and all the sacrifices it entails than not have anyone at all as you grow old?” Her answer? Nah!!!! Who me? Yup! She wouldn’t. And, if someone were to ask me the same question, my answer would be exactly the same. Maybe that’s why we’re still both single.
Then again, who’s to say what we will do if we meet a Jake in real life who’s willing to stand by us in the face of a long incurable ailment? Forget the incurable disease. Where do we find somebody who will be patient enough to understand and put up with our idiosyncrasies, selfishness, raging hormones and the challenges of your regular, everyday life in this crazy world? Hopefully, a someone we can love deep enough in return, no matter the imperfections?
Well, I’m not holding my breath. This is not about building that ballpark that Kevin Costner built as in “If you build it, they will come” sort of thing. Love exists in our life whether we are single or not. If it comes, then great! Grab it and never let it go. If it doesn’t, so what? I’d rather be alone but happy and at peace with the world and myself than be miserable with someone who doesn’t love me the way God really loves me.
PEACE!
Happy Valentine everyone!
Oh, thanks for your 'maiden performance'. I loved reading it. I am glad you finally have broken the ice. I love your writing style. Your post is very timely. But i have a question though. Is your being single really a choice that you made out of the many options that you had then? I mean options that were as attractive. It seems to me that you have become quite cynical about love, but i may be wrong. Nevertheless, I love your last line: I’d rather be alone but happy and at peace with the world and myself than be miserable with someone who doesn’t love me the way God really loves.
ReplyDeleteGoing by this mindset, i suppose you already have embraced the life of single-blessedness that is a vocation in and by itself. If you are making God happy and glorifying Him through this state of life, then I am fully for it. No one can love you the way God loves you because we are human beings, hence, we have a lot of frailties. But if you are happy and contented resting in God's bosom as a celebate, then i suppose that is a blissful state to be in.
oh btw, i will watch this movie
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ReplyDeleteFrom a single lady to single ladies out there, you have nailed it! Also hanging on to that wedding rope I never regret that I did not succumb to the idea of romance just to flaunt to the world that I have it in my bones. Not having someone does not mean that we are not capable of loving. Yeah…yeah worn out words “the right one has yet to come”. I truly agree with you “rather be alone…” step aside Tom Cruise there is no room for your “you complete me line” here, no one completes anyone…we complete our self. Love is my drug It brings ripple of joy from me to my family and friends. Love comes in different forms. It does not only appear in a tall, dark and handsome package Most of the time they come in groups. Looking forward to hear from you again prgemgir.
ReplyDeleteLove comes from the most unexpected places... hehehe. corny ba? This is according to Jose Feliciano, one of my fave singers in the 60's and 70's
ReplyDeletei too am single at the moment, but i guess it wont be for long, because fabulous ladies dont stay single for a long time.
ReplyDeletetruth is, truly deeply excited to be finally swept away by my knight in bloody shining armor.
love your writing prgemgirl!
so sonya, you are saying that those who choose to stay single are not fabulous? that choosing to stay single is the only option left for them?
ReplyDeleteexpat's world, i think you got me wrong. i think fabulous women are those women who have the the POWER, the OPTION to stay single or not.
ReplyDeletebecause fabulous women CAN CHOOSE! go prgemgirl!