THE CURSE OF TELENOVELA

Warning: Contains strong language

I hate soaps. I hate everything about those quaky films that depict love to be some magical, mystical, it’s all in the stars nonsense. To me, love is not in the eyes of the beholder, but in the wallet of the owner. The analogy that someone is destined to be with you, or that two people’s love story is meant to be is a whole load of b.s in my opinion.

In this day and age, most people are not in the perfect relationship, but, the perfect arrangement. Now am not saying that two people can’t fall in love, am simply putting it into perspective that anyone who thinks that, ‘Mr. Flawless’ or ‘Miss Angel’ is somehow somewhere thinking about them…is nothing more than delusional. 

These telenovelas have corrupted our minds into thinking that love is some real-life fairy tail, well am sorry to disappoint you, but, in the real world, things don’t work like that. Why is he being too harsh? He has probably never experienced true love, that’s why he is so salty. Who broke his heart? If these are some of the questions casing through your mind right now, well my friends, walk with me as I try to unclog your brains.

To begin with, all human beings are creatures of growth and evolution. How I look today is probably not how I looked when I was let’s say 5 years old, and likewise, 20 years from now my features will have probably changed drastically… for better or worse is for mother nature and myself to decide.

Now ladies, how many of you growing up knew that corny, skinny, goofy-looking kid who would try…even though he knew there was no chance I hell…to make you his girlfriend. To him, you were a mermaid… beautiful and enchanting in every other way. To you, he was a ‘vampire’ that drained the life out of you. A human being that you could not stand to be around, you even felt sorry for the ‘unlucky’ one who would walk down the aisle for him.

Fast forward 20 years and goofy went from being the neighbourhood clown to leading his football team (in the top-tier league if I may add) to three back-to-back football championships, he went from being corny and skinny to looking like the son of Zeus, and probably if he was quick to mature, went from being (in your eyes) dumb and soft to becoming a sharp and strategic thinker something that brought about several double-digit-millions to his name at a young age.

Now, how many of you ladies would still view yourselves ‘unlucky’ if you ended up riding off into the sunset with him? Mind you this is if, he even looks in your direction this time around. Would that be love or you wanting to be with the apex predator? And before you tell me that your choice to reject him was what set him up on the path to excellence and that you’re now just reaping the fruits of your labour, let me ask…if he only got worse and never became the prominent individual he is, would you still ‘reap the fruits of your labour’?

To all my fellow Kings out there, how many of you have completely written off a girl who in your words is ‘dramatic’, ‘old-fashioned’, ‘unsubmissive’, or some ridiculous comment like she doesn’t have a big enough hindquarter. To you, these types of women ‘belong in a museum’ and you could not even dare to dream about putting a ring on it.

Once again, let’s hit fast forward on that remote button, and life has beaten or moulded you into being a respectable, hardworking, healthy, and probably, high-earning individual. All this wrapped up into an exclusive, get-all package, of prince charming.

Hopefully, after all your travels and bad romantic choices, you’ve realised that that queen you once called ‘dramatic’ is more than a keeper. That the lady you once called ‘old-fashioned’ is someone who believes in her ideologies and primarily sticks to her lane, not jumping on the next wave so she can stay relevant.

Life has hopefully taught you that women in the latter category go further in life as popular is nothing more than a word to them, you’ve hopefully realised that this type will always accept you for who you are and will not judge you based on what you wear or own because, as much as material possessions are important, they know that those are not the pillars to a long and happy life.

As I stated earlier, I am not ridiculing love nor am I saying that those who believe in it are daft, am simply saying that in real life, the script isn’t usually the same as in our favourite telenovelas. Sure, we all pray to fall in love with the man or woman of our dreams, but if you ask me, some of us are falling way too hard for comfort.

These shows don’t show (or perhaps we’ve chosen not to see) that life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. There will be some dark periods, where we will bash heads despite being married or dating a true gem. It’s simply human nature and we can’t change that. Some individuals out here will do practically anything for love, trust me if I had a dollar for every time someone responded with ‘you call it madness I call it love’ after love had made them do some stupid ish, I would be a billionaire.

Love is not something you feel but something you do…or so they say, but, ladies and gents let’s not be sucked into that black hole of clinginess, neediness, and worst of all desperation. No matter how bad this life may seem sometimes, we all have our ‘rib’ or ‘chosen one’ somewhere out there.

In this global village we live in, it can sometimes feel as if we are the ones with an issue as if we are philophobic, but let’s all remember…having no deal is better than being trapped in a bad one. We shouldn’t stay in an abusive or belittling relationship just because we’re afraid of what ‘they’ will say. In my opinion, the best love is self-love, the way you love yourself will be an ambassador to others who want to love you…like the way the true saying goes, ‘treat me like I treat me’.

To round this off, I want to remind each one of you that truly being in love is, loving someone for who they were, who they are, and who they are going to be. Lastly, true love stories, unlike telenovelas, never have endings.