I Don't Understand

I hope everyone is having wonderful, peaceful winter holiday season. I’ve been very busy as the year winds to a close, but not so busy that I haven’t been able to wonder about things as I shop or cook or decorate. There are so many little things I don’t understand, and since that’s what’s on my mind, I’d like to share them with you.

For example, I don’t know why someone hasn’t mentioned that Taylor Swift’s song, Love Story, might hold the key to her relationship troubles. First of all, it’s based on Romeo and Juliet, which is not really as romantic as it is tragic. And violent. And tragic. Then there’s the part where Juliet doubts Romeo’s love for her because he hasn’t been around and another where she sings that by getting married neither of them will ever be alone again. Taylor, honey, communication is key in a relationship. If you don’t know what’s up on his end, a little heart-to-heart is absolutely necessary. Also, being lonely is not really the best or only reason to get married. I realize this is just a song, but given her track record in the love department, it could explain a lot.

I also don’t understand the words to the song, “The Way She Loves Me” by Tonic. I love the song, but can’t figure out the most of the words without some kind of teleprompter. I tried to look them up after I went to a live performance a few years ago where a band covered the song and people were singing along. I started singing, too, but couldn’t get past “If you could only see the way she loves me…” My participation after that was reduced to gibberish as I tried to fill in the blanks. It kind of went like this:

“If you could only see the way she loves me, then baby you’d la la la la la mumble mumble la la la hmmmm hmmmmm. If you could only see how blue her eyes la la hmmmmmm mumble when she says she loves me…” 

And even though I've seen the lyrics now, I still can't make sense of them. There a couple of songs like that. Another one that mildly confuses me is "Feel So Close" where the singer says something about "feeling so close to you right now it's a force field"--don't force fields repel? This always causes my synapses to misfire when I hear it, but it's probably my fault for having learned all my science facts from Star Trek.

I also don’t understand why people get upset about celebrities or models being Photoshopped to look thinner anymore. Magazines don’t even try to hide the fact they alter their covers; they just slap us in the face with it. I used to think it was because I’m into art that I can see exactly where a little thigh was slimmed off or where a little breast was lifted, but now anyone can see the alterations because they’re so obvious, like the one magazine where the cover model ended up looking like a bobble-head doll. Basically, magazines are sending the message that this is what they think they need to do to sell their product, which, more than anything, makes them look clueless. I don’t complain about it because I know it will be done anyway, so I just don’t buy magazines anymore.

Another thing I’m mystified by is men’s desperate need to keep all the lights in the house turned off. Every room in the house, except the one we’re in, has to be dark. I realize this saves energy, and I’m all for that; however, if I leave a room and plan to return in two minutes, I do not shut off the light. My dear hubby, on the other hand, shuts off the light and then turns it on again when he re-enters the room. If I leave the room to go to the bathroom, it’s dark by the time I return. From what I’ve gathered, this is pretty typical. My theory? Men miss the womb, which was dark and safe, and so it comforts them to be in a dark house. Women may miss the womb, too, but we’ve evolved to understand that light is needed for the basic necessities of life, like reading a favorite romance. lol

I’ve also noticed something about current treads in female lead characters in TV shows that has piqued my curiosity. There are very few likable ones. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like all the shows I’ve watched lately that have any kind of ensemble cast don’t have any female characters that I can connect with or even like. They’re all kind of selfish and pushy with no sense of humor. Is this what script writers think makes a “strong” woman character? That she has to be a shrew? I’ve known many strong women in my life, and most of them were very kind and lovable, not self-absorbed and stubborn to the point of annoying. On a related note, I've noticed that shows will cast actors who look really similar to do different parts to the point where there are so many characters who look alike that I can't figure out what's going on. When there's five bald guys with the only way to tell them apart being their eye color and they all wear sunglasses, it gets too confusing to watch, so I tune out.

Speaking of tuning out, it's time for me to sign off. So, what about you? Anything you don’t understand or wonder about? Do you know of any engaging female characters on TV or know why men like to turn lights off so much? Please do share.