“You know what sucks? Realizing that everything you believe in is complete and utter bullshit. It sucks.”
On a summer evening a couple of years back, I watched 500 Days of Summer (no, there will be no movie review here). But this was no ordinary summer evening. I had broken up with my girlfriend a few months before, and our anniversary was supposed to be that day. I’m not sure why I chose this movie on this particular evening; it just seemed like another light romantic comedy. Fate? Perhaps, but it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that I learned a few truths thanks to this beautiful film, though not all at once.
The first truth is that just because you like the same obscure stuff does not mean you’re soulmates. Indeed, I’ll never understand why people are so obsessed with finding life partners who share their interests. Watching movies by the same directors, reading books by the same authors, and listening to songs by the same musicians will not bring you closer together, nor will it improve your sex with this person.
The second truth is that you should never, remember, never, have a relationship at work. You should not even attempt it. This is a terrible idea. How bad is this idea? Have you ever thought about getting a tattoo while drunk? Well, better get a tattoo drunk than shit where you eat. At the very least, the tattoo can be removed relatively painlessly.
The third truth is that when things start to fall apart, nothing can be fixed. Moreover, you can’t even spot the moment when everything began to fall apart. No matter how many kitchens and taps you have, sooner or later, every single one of them will break. My advice (which I’m not following) is to take a sledgehammer and break everything yourself.
The fourth truth is that when things start to fall apart, one of you is Sid Vicious and the other is Nancy Spungen. And one of you will stab the other in the chest, inflicting mental wounds with a metaphorical knife. They will, however, cause as much pain and bleeding as physical wounds would. No, it is not done out of spite. It just happens.
The fifth truth is that the person to whom you are willing to give everything often needs it from someone else. People can spend several years in relationships that, despite a promising start, end in countless attempts to fix a crumbling house, but once they split up, they can find someone who needs this “everything” in a matter of months. I’m not sure why this happens, but I’ve seen it many times. Fate once again? Perhaps.
The sixth truth is that a bottle can’t mend a broken heart. Yes, you feel better when you’re drunk, but it sucks again in the morning, possibly even worse than before. Although alcohol can sometimes work miracles, it is not our helping hand in situations like this. You know what helps? Getting distracted by doing what you love. Turn an old hobby into a source of income, make a dream come true. Try to figure out where you fit in the Universe. That’s when everything will work out.
The seventh truth is that Summer is always followed by Autumn. And it does not matter whether it is a cosmically significant deal or a mundane event. The only important thing is that Summer is always followed by Autumn.