Not too long ago, I ran into this youtube video of Roberto Carlos (see video clip below - he’s like a Brazilian Barry Manilow) singing one of his most famous ballads, “Como é grande o meu amor por você”, which translates to “this is how great my love for you really is”. I'm not what you'd call a huge fan of Roberto myself, although he’s a very likable singer. But this one song will always hold a special place in my heart, because the one time a guy actually serenaded me, and I mean, whipped up his guitar, had me sitting on top of a ledge while he sang, it was to this song.
You can deduce that, since I now live in the US, and my hubby does not speak Portuguese, that he wasn’t the one who sang it. The guy who actually sang it, was then and still is, my very best friend in the whole wide world. Nothing ever happened on a romantic level between us. I remember panicking a bit as he was singing because I thought about not being able to wear high heels if I dated him (call me shallow if you like, but I was, after all, only 19, so what did I know?), or worse, losing his friendship if it didn’t work out. There were, as it turned out, far more pressing issues that I wasn’t aware of at the time. Issues that I may not have been strong enough to survive as a lover, but was able to accept and be there for him as a friend.
There are so many forks on the road of one's life. When you look back, it's interesting to wonder what would have happened if you had done this or that, said yes or no, gotten down from that ledge and given him a passionate kiss instead of an awesome hug... Don't get me wrong, though - I am so very happy with my life as it is now, it's not even funny. Sometimes I even feel like I don't deserve it, but it doesn't last long, because I have learned to be grateful for what I have and appreciate it NOW. Besides I'm well aware that I probably have paid my dues during the previous administration, if at no other time in my life.
Like I said, it's interesting to look back and wonder, but you must not loose sight of what you currently have and love. If you do (loose sight, that is), it's like being trapped in the Lotus Hotel (sorry, you have to have read Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief to get that one). And here’s my question to you: have you ever been serenaded, and if so, to what song? I'd love to hear it.
