Expectation Vs. Reality
Have you ever had something happen to you when at the time it didn’t seem like a big deal, yet days later you find yourself still thinking about it? The other day I made a pit stop at Target. Yes, that place that you always walk out of wondering what you bought and why. Anyway, as I was making my way to isle 7 something caught my eye and I couldn’t help but stop and watch. Ok, that sounds creepy but just stick with me here …
I spotted a guy, late 20s, looking like the picture perfect image of someone suffering from a hangover. He stood there, completely frozen, in front of the flower section with the most confused and defeated look on his face. As I started to walk away from him, for whatever reason, I decided to turn back around. I walked up to him and said “Hey friend, need some help?” He looked at me as if I was God in a 25 year old woman’s body. Without even taking a breath he said “Yes please, I just have no idea what bouquet to get her.” I went on to ask him a few simple questions in hopes of learning the vibe of the situation; how long had they been together? Is it her birthday? Do you know her favorite color? He took a moment to gather his thoughts as if I just asked him to solve a rubik's cube and then proceeded to tell me, “It was guys night last night … her favorite color is yellow…” I chuckled to myself and said say no more!!! The following 5 minutes were spent by him asking me questions and my opinion on each different bouquet so he could, even for a second, get inside a female’s brain. After picking out the perfect arrangement we smiled at each other, I wished him luck and then went our own separate ways.
Fast forward to later that night, after I had checked all the errands off my list and enjoyed a day with my special someone I found myself still thinking about my run in with “flower guy.” Why? Why was I still thinking about this stranger? What was it about that run in that still had my mind rolling?
Expectation. The notion of expectations is what had been sticking with me throughout the entire day. Think about it. This guy woke up feeling like hell after having 10 too many beers with his buddies. He probably didn’t call his girlfriend before he passed out or forgot to do something that she expected him to do. So in the midst of fighting his hangover he got himself out of bed in the effort to do something thoughtful, however expectations got in his own way. He stood there contemplating which bouquet to purchase because he knew he was expected to pick the right one yet he doesn’t know the difference between a peony, a hydrangea or a tulip. We, as women, think that guys automatically know not only what flower to get us but that yes means no and no means yes and on every other Wednesday that maybe means yes and that “have fun” truly means that they should abort whatever mission they were about to embark on.
Expectation.
I am sure we have all felt the weight of that word at some point in our life, if not every single day. The expectations that are felt post college graduation. The expectations that are held over our heads when in a relationship. The expectations that are thrown onto us day in and day out of our work lives. The expectations that our friends hold us up to. The expectations that our parents had the moment we came out of the womb and sometimes the heaviest of them all, the expectations that we hold over our own heads. I am not saying do not have them. OF COURSE you should have expectations and by all means, live up to them to the best of your ability however, always be reminded that life has a tendency of throwing curves ball that can throw those expectations right off track. Expectation is defined as: a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future.
Well guess what? Life doesn’t always go according to plan. He will buy you the “wrong” flowers, you will make your parents hold their breaths and yes, you will even disappoint yourself but the coolest part about all of that is that when those unexpected moments do happen, they will feel that much sweeter.
