You Can't Always Get What You Want

A few months back I was treated to a monologue by a guy I know who has accomplished a lot in his 60 years worth of existence. This guy is not your ordinary guy. For one, he is old. But that's not really what makes him different. This guy was a "Winner in the Game Called Life" .... Or that would have been a good title to a book I could have written about his life had he talked a few hours more about his "success story".

According to him, as his wife stood-up, excused herself, and cleverly escaped what I think she figured out as a full-length movie-long worth of monologue, he says he got married a little too early. He was 20 when he tied the knot. He had to tie it hastily because he got his hot, and sexy girlfriend pregnant. During his time if you challenged someone's honor, I think someone with a weaved basket over his head would come out, identify you, and then the soldiers would shoot you there and then. Or maybe I'm a little confused between what Makapili Spies do during the Japanese occupation. Anyway, it still was bad news during his teenage days to get your girlfriend pregnant so he had no choice but marry her.

He was 20, she was 19, they were both in their majoring years in college. His parents funded his last year of education and after that, they were on their own. He had to pay for his wife's final years in college because his wife then had to balance her time being a mother, being a student, and being his wife. He on the other hand had to work really, really hard to make both ends meet.To make the long story short, he was down, almost out, had to fight his way through a lot of adversities, and WON over them, most of the time.

Right around this time the wife came back with trays of pastries and as she walked back to the living room the husband said "Honey, over 35 years ago we lived in the smallest, one bedroom apartment, slept on a "banig", we couldn't afford a car so I had to ride the jeepneys to and from work everyday, and the only thing in our house that was valuable was our 12 inches or so black and white TV". The wife gave him what seemed like a smile although it didn't really make much difference. "Now," .... here it comes I thought to myself, as the guy spreads his arms to make his "new kingdom" obvious, "we own 7 cars, we live in an 11 bedroom house in a class A subdivision, sleep night after night on a custom-made King Size Bed, and watch our favorite shows and movies on our 46" Plasma TV", as he points to the other room right across their sala which seems to host a home theater system. "Not bad" he wraps it up with a proud grin as his wife puts down the tray of tasty pastries and hurried out of there.

On her way out of there she managed to knock down a picture frame from a side table. I picked it up, was to reset it, when I noticed that it was an old black and white photo of a good looking, shapely, very lovely 20 something lady. I made a wild guess and asked "WAS, ohmm (pause), IS this you Mrs.Wind-Bag?" She was saved the effort of answering because her husband readily said, "Ah Yes, that is her. When she was young. When we were both young. Where was that taken Honey?" he asked his wife but I never got to hear the answer to that question. As I looked at the picture, my mind drifted into space thinking of the smallest one bedroom apartment, watching TV on the smallest black and white TV set, sleeping on a "banig", and Hot, Sexy, Beautiful Mrs.Wind-Bag .... Then I was bought back to reality as the guy tapped me apparently laughing at a joke I missed. I was saved the effort of pretending to laugh at something I didn't know crap about, as a surge of funny realization hit me. Here was one of life's realities staring me in the face. Here I was laughing With and At Mr.Wind-Bag, in his big, expensive, 11 bedroom house, whose garage held 7 cars, a King Size Bed upstairs, a state of the art Home Theater System, and an old, wrinkled, 59 year old wife by his side. I don't know if it's just me, but I think the Upgrade, should have covered just a little bit more.

"Who knows? With a little hard work and faith, maybe someday you'll have everything too" the old man proudly told me as he shifted his attention back to his chuckling wife. "Thank you, sir" I answered. "But if for example I settle for just 5 cars, an 8 bedroom house, a commercial queen size bed, and settle for an under 30" TV, what do you think that'll leave me?", and stopped right there.

The couple didn't get the joke, but I got LIFE's STORY's point loudly and clearly. I guess we really can't have it all. ;)