Just the Way You Are

 

I bet that just by reading the title your mind is already playing the song.

The song Just the Way You Are written by Billy Joel in 1977 (or Barry White) is a lovely ballad. I can sing it word for word (sometimes I wonder how I can do that with most songs from the 70s and 80s when at times I go into the kitchen and can´t remember why I did). Apparently, he is asking a lover not to change a thing because he will love her or him forever just the way he or she is.

Now, if we take a closer look at the lyrics, it is totally utopian. He sings don't go trying some new fashion/ don't change the color of your hair. Hold on a minute! By using the word don’t, he's giving an order where he could have used something more appropriate like you don't have to or you don´t need to. Besides, if he plans to be with this person to celebrate many anniversaries, the fashion will change throughout the years and I certainly hope they roll with the changes; otherwise, it will be pretty freaky.

When he sings: I don't want clever conversation/ don't need to work that hard/ I just want someone I can talk to I'll give him a golden star here. Because the older you get the more you appreciate a good conversation, not that the libido dies out, but it certainly dies down. However, in my case, I do fall for a smart brain and a clever conversation is definitely a turn on.

Then the song goes on: you've always had my unspoken passion/ although I might not seem to care. How is a woman or a man supposed to know his feelings if they are unspoken? Not to mention if he might not seem to care, certainly the lover cannot figure it out through his actions if there aren´t any. Telling the other how you feel about them is essential. In addition to showing how much you care. People do not have crystal balls or ESP to guess what the other feels (although there are some who do). If I can put my two cents in here (well by now it seems like I have put in 50) I would encourage partners to share their feelings - be it good or bad. Don't expect your partner to guess how you are feeling. Trust me you will be disappointed and you probably won´t be celebrating a golden anniversary.

At the end of the day, it is a beautiful song, and the winning line is, in my opinion is, I love you just the way you are!

Written: September 18, 2021

Google Images

I DO love you

 

you ask me if I love you.

my heart skips a beat.

my breath stops.

time stands still.

 

how can I tell you I do not?

my head turns the other way.

my eyes look to the ground.

my mouth lets out a simple - no.

 

you cannot believe your ears.

tears start rolling down your cheeks.

you rise and stumble out the door.

my body drops to the floor.

 

my heart bleeds.

how insensitive.

how foolish.

how woeful.

what kind of human is capable of such a reckless deed?

deep down inside all I want to do is scream at the top of my lungs.

my love for you is grand indeed.

 

written: September 12, 2021

Google Images

 

A Person Can…

A person can flip a house, an old piece of furniture or even a burger on the grill.

However, no one can flip someone else´s mind.

 

A person can mend a sock, a cigarette hole in a coat, or even a porcelain mug shattered into a million pieces.

However, no one can mend up broken heart.

 

A person can bend rules, iron rods, or even one´s body to touch one's toes.

However, no one can bend someone's feelings when they love another someone.

 

A person can open a bolted door, an aluminum can, or even one´s mouth to make sure it´s heard.

However, a person cannot open someone else’s eyes and make them see love smack in front of them.

 

A person can wear a hot, sunscreen, or even wear pajamas to an event.

However, one cannot wear one´s heart on one´s sleeve otherwise pain will be felt.

 

A person can clear a path, one's throat, or even the stifling air in a room.

However, a person cannot clear away the agony someone else feels after being betrayed.

 

Written: September 8, 2021

Google Images

 

Lying is the New Truth

 

Lately I have been wondering why people cannot or are not up front with others. I am using cannot or are not because I truly do not know what the best word to use here would be. Is it an ability, skill or state? Can it be learned?

When we are children saying what comes to mind is a tendency. No words are measured and the comment is accepted due to the simple fact that the child is cute or just a child. We do not get angry at the child for speaking his/her mind, we simply accept it.  It seems like we lose this ability as we grow up. Being older we tend to realize that the truth is not always welcome the way it used to be.

As adults, we measure our words, worry about what the listener will think, sometimes we even say what the listener wants to say just to end the conversation or simply not hurt the other. Although we do this, are we really protecting the other or our we just illuding him/her?

Why is it so hard just to be straight forward with the other? People nowadays have been under the influence that life is to be happy and you can achieve all your goals and make all your dreams come true- do as you wish. We tend to not see that we can´t always get what we want.  As The Rolling Stones sing “you get what you need”. Perhaps what you need is the truth flat out.

The truth hurts. The truth brings you down to earth. The truth wakes you up to other plans if your main plan fails. No matter what the situation may be, the truth will help you grow and evolve. Besides, if you tell a lie, you need to remember a story and sometimes that can get mixed up just like a ball of yarn.

So, next time you are tempted to tell a white lie or, as always say – a lie, just tell the truth. Only good things can come from that.

 

Written: September 6, 2021

Google Images

 

If...

 

If you were my wife, you´d never own a black car

          A car, for me, is a very important means of transportation. Since it is an extremely expensive to own one in Brazil, I take extremely good care of mine. I take it for a checkup every six months, have the oil changed and the tires rotated. The garage I take it to belongs to my brother-in-law´s friend.

When I first get a brand-new car, I take it to the authorized garage so that I don´t lose the guarantee just in case something really costly comes up. However, as soon as that is over, I take it to this garage. Being a single woman, I like to take it there because being some one I know, I trust his judgement and his work. Not to mention the prices, way cheaper than the authorized garage.

Due to covid and my own health issues, I haven´t been using my car as often, therefore, a few little issues have arisen. Generally, I call the friendly mechanic and he tells me what I should do. The other day a light lit up on the panel. I took a picture and sent it to him. He told me it was ok to drive, but when I had a chance to bring it in. So, I did. It took him 20 minutes to fix it up and I was on my way.

While I was there, however, there was a car dealer who was getting his car fixed. We were introduced and the friendly mechanic asked him if he had a used silver 2019-2020 for sale. He affirmatively answered. Suddenly I realized he was trying to deal a new car for me. When I realized this, I ironically said, who says I want a used car and silver. I like black. Then he answered that if I were his wife, he wouldn´t let me have a black car. I couldn´t control myself and immediately blurted: Let? We are in 2021 and you are still saying that you do not let your wife do whatever she wants to? It was an awkward situation. The men laughed and as he closed the lid to my car, I sweetly asked if he would let me be on my way. More laughter. But not from me. It is still a situation to ponder about.

Written: September 5, 2021

Google Images

 

Mirror

 

Hands Up (part one)

The elevator doors opened as slow as they usually do every time you need to use it. Inside there was a young girl in her mid-30s holding her left arm by the elbow as if she had hurt it. I was tempted to ask her if everything was alright, but stuck to small talk about the lack of rain in the city. She mentioned how hard it had been for her to breathe. As she explained this ordeal, I noticed that she spoke sluggishly as if needing to pronounce each and every syllable, she had an impediment when speaking.

We got off at the same floor and I held the door open for her. With gratitude she stepped out and thanked me. By holding the door, which she did not need to touch, her eyes filled with a smile. We did a kind of tango as she wanted to get to the hand sanitizer near the elevator door and I was in the way. Then it dawned on me. She was holding up the hand she had used to open the elevator door when she could get in and could not forget which one it was. I could see a sign of relief as soon as she was able to use the hand sanitizer. A load had lifted off her shoulders. A cargo of possible invisible germs had been killed.

Written: September 2, 2021

Gotta Keep My Hand Up (part 2)

From a very early age, she had been dealing with health issues. It seemed like her right side of the brain just didn´t want to connect with her left side. Her left leg dragged along, special shoes had to be worn, and most of the times, her memory failed her. One thing he believed that most people realized, which really shied her away from talking to people, was that her mouth drooped on the left, therefore she couldn´t smile properly and when she spoke, the words were blurted out in a lethargic manner. After 35 years, you think she´d have gotten used to these issues, but it was something she had to deal with on a daily basis.

Having to wear a mask now due to the corona virus, made life a bit easier in dealing with these physical difficulties. Her mouth was hidden and it was harder now to understand people speaking through a mask, so if she people didn´t understand her, it was because of the mask and not her droopy mouth.

In the morning she needed to go to the market. Mind you, although she had some disabilities, she could still drive a car, which had been adapted for her. But nobody needed to know that. She was pretty much independent when it came to coming and going. Having been facing a pandemic for almost two years now, she had also gotten used to the precautions she needed to take in order not to get sick; wear a mask, keep a distance and use hand sanitizers. On that morning, she had used her left hand to press the elevator button, open its door and press the -2 floor. Happiness and relief filled her heart when she saw that the lift was empty. However, it stopped on the 8^th floor.

In walked a woman who looked young but not only was she wearing a mask, but two. She felt relieved because if this woman had gone to this trouble, it meant that she was also taking care of herself during this time. Besides, the woman stayed near the door far enough from her. She had gotten the elevator with this woman before and thought she was very nice because she always started small talk. Good thing I was holding my left arm to remember which one I had used to press the buttons and open the door. This woman was funny and always made her laugh.

The elevator reached the -2^nd floor, and the young lady opened the door for her. What a kind gesture. The only problem was that she got in her way when she reached for the hand sanitizer which upset her a bit. Sadly, the woman didn´t use it like she did. But later when she saw the woman near her car, she noticed that the woman had taken out her own hand antiseptic. She knew she was not mistaken.

 

Written: September 5, 2021

Google Images