My Perfect Pair of Shoes

    Once upon a time there was a fool who declared to have found the perfect man for her. Not ideal, but simply perfect. The exact words, I recall, were: He's like the pair of shoes that perfectly fits me!

I fell in love with Gael Garcia Bernal a year ago when I first saw Padre Amaro staring at the moving trees outside the window of the bus he was in. He didn't even speak that first scene and he already swept me off my feet! After the movie I was dragging my body along the ground, dazed and too overwhelmed that such sublime creature exists. My definition of beauty and perfection were trashed into the waste bin; vocabulary for adjectives seemed scarce to define this seriously gifted actor. For months, his infamous quotes, saliva-slipping photos (Disgusting of me. I know), priceless talent and life-waking movies ransacked my motivation as a student, opinion as a citizen, standards as a woman and thoughts as a person.

I was not disturbed. I was encouraged to be my best, because this person exists being one. Gael went more than an inspiration. He became a mountain peak that I vowed to reach. But when I started to entertain illusions, I came to realize that I have gone out of the equation (Who am I kidding? Even the fairy godmother can't afford to provide that miracle these days! She gave up after Prince Charles and Princess Dianna's divorce).

Thanks to my friend's piece of advice (I wonder why advice had to go in pieces, technically), hit me like a hammer jammed in the head. She said sometimes what fits you isn't necessarily the right one for you (my stubborn whims used to cry in agony against this truth, screaming: why not?! why not?!). You have to see beyond imperfections, and (most especially) consider reality (reality check girl, see the difference between illusion and what's real because only lunatics are hard-headed enough not to recognize the line between the two!) to find the right pair of shoes/dress/guy. Ouch.    

I'm over it now (thank the heavens!). Still, I insist, it's hard not to fall for this darling. Who wouldn't? After shocking the world with: Frida once said she didn't paint her dreams. She painted her reality. The necessity for peace in this world is not a dream. It is a reality and we are not alone. If Frida were alive today, she would be on our side, against the war.

He gave this brave speech during the 2003 Oscars when he introduced "Burn It Blue", nominated best song from Frida. That speech squeezed my heart in awe and nailed my attention to this living hero. That's why I am basking in pleasure of talking about him. And I will spare some more (hopefully), filmography, biography, quotes and pictures (goodies for the Gael fanatics).

But as for me, I have to go buy that perfect pair of shoes I've been eying for a few weeks now. Bueno, habla con usted más tarde. Adios!

Ps. I wrote this on 30 August of 2005. I took it from my previous blog, The Lost Tenement of Bananafish.