Hispanic E-Town and Fairy Tales

Never make promises that you can't keep; I'll have that tribute I promised in a later post.

So I'm driving to SAT Math Re-training this morning (I forgot what it was like to wake up before 11 AM) listening to the radio. I normally listen to two, sometimes three FM stations here in north Jersey. I have K-Rock on when The Reason by Hoobastank starts. I change to PLJ. Didn't like whatever was on. Changed to Z100 (my last resort), The Reason starts on that. Change back to PLJ...and The Reason starts on THAT. Three radio stations, same song, same time. Considering that I want to burn every copy of this song, it got me in a bad mood fast. But then, I hate the mornings anyways. Stupid hormones all out of whack.

Friday night was nostalgic. An old family friend from Hispanic E-Town got married right here in Desi E-Town, and seeing all these old faces from my childhood and high school was great. For the most part I've grown to accept that friends come and go, and that you can't expect to hold on to all of them. But then I go to something like this and wish for all the world I could reconnect with everyone. Of course, I would have been bored out of my mind had Mustafa not been there. One of my truly best friends, Mustafa is someone I can go months without talking to, and then immediately fill him in on all the details of my life. Friday was no different, but because of the lack of privacy, we decided we'd catch up later on our own. Can't wait (and YES, I will do some listening. I do listen sometimes you know).

Weddings bring out the ultra-sap in me, and this time was no different. Seeing some of my old friends happily (?) married made me wonder whether I'd ever live the "happily ever after" fairy tale. After Shrek 2, I realized every guy is like the big ogre, out searching for his Princess Fiona and his happily ever after. Will we ever find it? If we do, will we recognize it, or be so naive as to let it go by? How can we improve ourselves so that we won't let our stupidity blind us? What if we don't? OK forget we, what if I don't?!?!

We all grow up watching these TV shows and movies (Hollywood and Bollywood) that end in happily ever after (Ross and Rachel, Rahul and Anjali, Catherine Zeta-Jones and me). Even in these shows, there's a lot of pain to finally reach the end. But how do we know that's it? That it's all good after that? My dad was watching Chalte Chalte today on TV. I won't bore you with the details (and I saw maybe 4 scenes, but I heard about the story), but basically this Indian movie is a typical love story, except it doesn't end with the wedding. Rather, it shows the "after" of the love marriage, and you see that they are not having a good time of it. Their marriage goes to the brink, but eventually they survive and do live happily ever after (sorry if I ruined it for you). Made me think that fairy tale weddings are over-rated, non-existent, no marriage is absolutely perfect, not worth the trouble, all marriages suck, I'll just let my parents handle it.

But then, I did something I thought I'd never do: I caught an episode of Sex and the City (!)

(God, just when you thought I couldn't possibly be more of a woman...)

The episode dealt with the issue of whether or not it is a girl's dream to be rescued by her "knight in shining armor". A defiant Miranda refuses to ask her guy for help after eye surgery, but comes to realize that a guy's help isn't always a sign of weakness. Charlotte's "knight" turns out to be a brute. But what resonated with me was what Carrie said in the end, that sometimes a girl needs rescuing and sometimes a guy does. It goes both ways.

So what does that have to do with "do happily-ever-afters really happen"? It means that, like our other maniacal dreams, the end is rarely what we envision it. Sometimes it'll be ridiculously easy to reach that state of blissful happiness, sometimes it won't. Heck, most times it won't. But as long as all the sweat and tears are worth it in the end, then you'll be living your "happily ever after". You just have to prepare yourself to not fall asleep at the wheel, because then you'll crash and burn. So before you search for your knight (or knightess), make sure you're ready for what's to come, both for the expected and the vastly unexpected.

On that note, I'd like to congratulate _____ and _____ along with _____ and ______ for taking two very different but ultimately very successful paths to each other's hearts. _____ and ______, I couldn't be more excited for you because of how perfect you are for each other. _____ and _____, despite all the ups and downs, no matter how bleak things looked, you stuck together and fought through it, and give us all hope that we will find someone so supportive and caring. You all better have me over for dinner!!! Well, only as long as either ______ or _____ are cooking, because I don't think I can trust the food that _____ or _____ would make...

And as for me you wonder? Well, today at SAT Retraining, we established that the most common factor in the downfall of one's academic career is the opposite sex. So I'm out, keeping my head in the game and away from the groupies. No worries until med school is at least half done (if I say it enough times, maybe I can actually make it happen).

Of course, if my knightess in shining armor comes rescues me, I'd be hard-pressed to turn her away. Ultimately, we all want to find a personal reason to change how we used to be and to start over new. And I know I'd want that reason to be the woman of my dreams.

(Eh, maybe that song ain't so bad after all...)

Sports Prediction of the Day: Phil Mickelson will win the US Open.

Current Rankings of Songs in My Playlist
Gold: The Ataris "The Boys of Summer"
Silver: Evanescence "My Immortal"
Bronze: Evanescence "Everybody's Fool"

South Park Quote of the Day
Stan's Dad: Now do you see why tolerance is so important boys?
Stan: Yeah, I guess.
Museum of Tolerance Tour Guide: We have to accept people for who they are and what they like to do. HEY! What the hell are you doing!
Smoker by the fountain: Oh I was just uh...
Tour Guide: There is no smoking in the museum!
Smoker: But I'm not in the museum.
Tour Guide: GET OUT OF HERE YOU FILTHY SMOKER!
(smoker gets up and leaves)
Kyle's Dad: Yeah Dirty Lungs!
Stan's Mom: Go ahead and kill yourself stupid Tar Breath!
Butter's Dad: Dumbass!
Tweek's Dad: Get out of here!