The Social Network could potentially be the most pointless and absurd movie ever created. Then again, it could also be the greatest thing to ever hit theaters. I've been hearing a lot about it from friends and co-workers who seem to believe that it is going to be a phenomenal film. Despite all of their expectations I can't help but wonder why making a movie about the creation of Facebook could possibly be a good idea. I fail to see how a movie about a couple of guys who spent their entire lives in their dorm rooms and had no friends stole someone's idea and morphed it into a way for them to actually get friends. I mean come on. They took Myspace, cleaned it up and added a "like" button.
That doesn't mean I'm anti social networking. I have definitely found enjoyment through facebook and twitter over the last year or two. It's become a great way to keep in touch with people I don't see on a daily basis while also giving people shit in a public forum. There's something quite entertaining about calling someone's favorite sports team a group of no talent ass clowns and making sure that everyone in the world knows how you feel. And before you ask, yes. I am immature.
I've found that facebook also has a knack for bringing back memories that I had locked away in the back of my mind for a long time. We all have exes in our lives and, if we're lucky, they generally stay out of our lives. One can hope anyway. As of late my ex doesn't seem to want to follow those guidelines.
It's not really worth getting into but for the sake of this entry I will give you a little back story into that failed relationship. I was fresh out of college when I met her and we were together for 2 years before things went south. She was my first real girlfriend so everything was brand new to me, especially the break up. I was devastated and a virtual walking zombie for months following. Part of the problem was that her family and friends were my family and friends. All my best friends moved away after college so I was alone when we met. Her circle invited me in but just as quickly threw me out in the cold when she broke up with me. In the end, it was a smart decision. We were both young and naive and wouldn't have lasted much longer even if we did continue. That was four and a half years ago.
I don't hold any romantic feelings for her anymore but I do care about her and wish her the best. She was a huge part of my life and my development. They say you never forget your first love. It's true. From time to time she will get in contact with me for one reason or another. It's usually very brief and slightly superficial. I never initiate conversation but I'm willing to chat if and when she has something to say. I've noticed that recently she has been contacting me more and bringing up memories from our relationship that I thought I buried.
A few months ago she asked me for a mix CD. To a normal human being this would not be a big deal. I'm clearly not normal. The mix CD is a very sentimental thing for me. I should be able to piece together 17-20 songs without letting it get to me but I can't seem to separate the emotion from it. Sure, I can make a CD filled with random country music for my dad but that's not what we're talking about. She told me that she needed new music and the best CD's she has in her collection are the ones I made her while we were dating. Is it wrong that I was a little happy about this? I did crack a little smile knowing that no one else could replicate my musical knowledge and mix CD talent.
It took me almost 2 months to actually put the playlist together. It took longer than I expected because I had to spend extra time making sure none of the songs would give her the impression that I wasn't over her and that I was still holding on to a shred of hope that we might get back together. It's actually easier to make a CD of love songs for someone. It can be very difficult to find songs that don't express love yet also don't express hate. There aren't a lot of nihilistic bands out there. I did include some love and some hate but I would make sure to always follow one with the other. It took her almost as much time to thank me for it.
There was about a month of radio silence between us and then she popped back up again. This time talking about a restaurant that we used to go to when we were together. It's a very expensive restaurant (at least it was to a couple of early 20 somethings waiting tables for a living) so it held some strong sentimental value to us. Apparently the establishment is taking part in the Philadelphia restaurant week and she thought it would be worth mentioning to me. I suppose I appreciate the gesture but I don't live in Philly.
Why would she bring this up to me? Is there a method to her madness? Neither contact has altered my opinion of her but it has brought back feelings that I thought I buried long ago. Not feelings for her. Just feelings in general. I've been coasting through life the last few years without thinking much about starting any kind of relationship. Now I wonder if the time is right for me to start getting back in the hunt. I'd like to make a mix CD for someone. I miss taking a girl out to a nice fancy dinner once in a while. I would thank the ex for this but I don't think I really want to give her the satisfaction.
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