A Lovestruck Man and a Vengeful Beeyatch
There’s a man who is totally smitten with a woman. Calling him lovestruck doesn’t give his feelings justice. He literally cannot live without her, he is that head over heels in love.
As for the woman? She’s a vengeful beeyatch. Seems someone in her family was mistreated by men, and so she has taken it upon herself to be the consummate Ice Queen. No man can get close to her without getting over some impossibly high hurdles.
And if he fails? The beeyatch cuts off his head!
No, it’s not one of my ex-girlfriends. And, other than the head-chopping part, it’s no one I know in real life.
The vengeful beeyatch is none other than Turandot, from the Puccini opera of the same name. I know, I know – opera? Trust me. Before you yawn and head for the exit, check this clip from the score. Don’t miss the vincero ending. If you don’t recognize the aria, consider yourself schooled:
Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma, Three Tenors Concert in LA
I recently had the pleasure of watching Turandot in HD on a movie screen. It was the replay of a live performance filmed and beamed from the Metropolitan Opera House in NYC. The Met is doing this all over the country until May. (Met Opera in HD info here.)
Spoiler Alert: I’m about to talk about the ending of the opera. If you haven’t seen the opera Turandot, and think you might someday, stop reading. The emotional rush you’ll get from seeing the opera without the ending spoiled is awesome. Stop reading. Leave a comment. And goodbye.
Now then, if you’re still reading, you’re ready to discuss the ending. Wow! Here’s a guy who wants the princess Turandot for himself. First he has to answer three riddles. He does, and wins her! But the vengeful beeyatch doesn’t want any man. The icy emotional walls surrounding her are thick. No way will any man ever touch her in an intimate fashion.
But this guy has won her, and she has no choice. And then – he does something outrageous! He says something that means he loses her. Now she has won. And now she can behead him!
WTF?! Why did he do that?
Love. Love is bigger than all of us. To sacrifice yourself for another, simply because you love them unconditionally – wow, that’s the real essence of life. That’s the lesson we are all meant to learn. That’s how we can interact with our children, and with every person we meet.
I truly think parenting teaches us about unconditional love like no other thing in life. Some choose to accept the lesson, and even embrace. Others turn their back and walk away.
But to give unconditional love, rather than romantic love, to another person who is not your child? That is hard to do! And it might just be the very purpose of life. (The Dalai Lama says the purpose of life is to be happy, and the way to happiness is by giving love through compassion. That’s pretty darn close to unconditional love.)
So the guy lays his life on the line because he doesn’t want to take Turandot by force. He wants her to love him through her own free will. And… (spoiler alert) she does. L’amore vincere.
Vincero! Vincero! Vincero!
Have a great weekend.
Nessun dorma. Bevi troppo! (No one sleep. Have a cocktail!)
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- Relationship Compatibility
- Where’s the Happy Ending
- He’s Not Worthy! You Deserve Better!
- Male and Female Dating Perspectives
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Comment by momma sunshine
| November 20th, 2009
Being a mom has taught me more about love and the person that I want to be than anything else in my whole life. I am truly a better person for being a parent. You’re right, though – unconditional love for someone other than our children is a tough one.
momma sunshine´s last blog ..Through the Magic of Internet…
Comment by Nicki
| November 20th, 2009
Wow, a man who knows opera! How is it that you’re still single?
I still believe in one love for life. Guess it’s just a challenge to find that one love. And it probably has a lot to do with the whole unconditional love thing…and finding someone worthy of it, someone who can be trusted with it, someone who will reciprocate it.
That’s why unconditional love for the kids comes so much more easily. (Although I have been known to say, “I love you, but I don’t like you so much right now.)
Nicki´s last blog ..Part Three: Poor camel!
Comment by Dawna
| November 20th, 2009
Not while we were dating, after we were married, nor even after we had children, could I really say I had unconditional love for my husband. I was jaded by previous bad relationships and figured that one just eventually has to choose between a having a man that brings excitement and romance or having a man that is dependable and a good provider.My husband was the latter. Ho Hum…
Then one day it happened. After taking some medication that didn’t agree with me, I was in the bathroom doing the Technicolor yawn. I heard the door open and felt my husband walk up behind me and then he reached and gathered up my waist length hair and held it safely in his hand while I continued to hurl. I knew then that this man really loves me and that set off a new spark in my heart for him, making me love him even more.
Dawna´s last blog ..Go Figure Friday or Things That Made Me Go "Hmmm…" This Week
Comment by Just Me...
| November 20th, 2009
As in Turandot, unconditional love means love enough to know when to do the right thing.. Walking away, not bailing them out, taking your elderly pet to the vet one last time.. And it’s very hard on a soul to love unconditionally..
My soon-to-be ex said that I never loved him unconditionally because I didn’t agree with him on everything 100% of the time.. Like many these days, his version of ‘unconditional love’ meant that you were his doormat, accepting every utterance from his lips as gospel. Hence, one of the reasons he’s a soon-to-be ex..
Oh, and I’m jealous of Dawna… :)
Just Me…´s last blog ..How Do I Get Myself Into These Situations!?
Comment by Mindy/Single Mom Says...
| November 20th, 2009
Great post, David! And I agree completely. Reminds me of this quote:
“The love we give away is the only love we keep.” ~ Elbert Hubbard
Mindy/Single Mom Says…´s last blog ..On to the Next
Comment by BigLittleWolf
| November 20th, 2009
My mother always had opera blaring on the stereo when I was growing up. DROVE ME NUTS. Never went to an opera, though I enjoyed symphony.
About 3 years ago, a friend invited me as her guest to the opera. LOVED IT. Go figure…
BigLittleWolf´s last blog ..The restorative powers of sleep. (Not.)
Comment by Sandra
| November 20th, 2009
What is going on here in the blogging world ???
I just got done reading a guy’s blog where he gave a very detailed description of a musical.
And now you are talking about Opera ?
Something must be in the beer.
Sandra´s last blog ..The Thursday Thrust
Comment by Unknown Mami
| November 20th, 2009
And you don’t have the ladies lined up at the door? What’s up with that?
Unknown Mami´s last blog ..The Gaze
Comment by dadshouse
| November 20th, 2009
Nicki – if you attach conditions to the love – someone worthy, someone who will reciprocate – it’s not unconditional. That’s why it’s so hard for many to do. We give our kids love without conditions, though.
Dawna – great story. I love how a single moment, and a non-romantic setting, at that, can spark an entire new depth of feeling.
Unknown Mami – I hear that same line from married women all the time. I wrote a post about it last year, describing a dinner party where married women fawned over me because I read books and have attended 3 days of teachings by the Dalai Lama. Their own husbands would never do those things. (Some women who read that post said I was unmanly. Whatever.)
Single women are a different breed entirely. They can go to the opera with anyone. They are looking for something else in their man. Maybe they want to start their own family from scratch, and don’t want the instant family I offer. Or maybe they have their own kids, and don’t want to bring any man into their lives. Or maybe they just want financial security, and they like that I have a home. Some women focus on possessions and material comfort, an could care less about the man. (Gold diggers?)
I want a genuine connection with a woman. I’ve found that a few times post-divorce, but in Silicon Valley, those connections have been rare for me.
Comment by Danielle
| November 20th, 2009
I can honestly say that I have never unconditionally loved a man. I think I find that very sad.
Comment by Dual Mom
| November 20th, 2009
I love when people post things that make me go hmmmm…
I know people who do not have unconditional love for their children. I do not know how this is possible, but it is. I would not hesitate to kill myself instantly for any one of my children if it would save their life. There is no one else in my life (now or in the past, after a marriage and several serious relationships) that I would say that about. I don’t know if I believe in unconditional love outside of a parent’s love for a child. Perhaps I need to revisit my definition of unconditional?
An interesting post….thanks.
Dual Mom´s last blog ..I Was a Teenage Asshole
Comment by notasoccermom
| November 20th, 2009
I can only comment to say- have not seen it, hope to see it.. and I think anyone can become bitter and put up walls when we are hurt- if we want to love again, we need to get past them
notasoccermom´s last blog ..My little star
Comment by Cat
| November 20th, 2009
Being a mom has taught me love like I never knew before. But it’s also made me more wary of opposite sex love, because now there are two hearts on the line. Being a single parent is such a delicate balance.
I hope someday I can see that opera- that clip was beautiful.
Cat´s last blog ..Friday Fragments
Comment by Laura
| November 21st, 2009
To be loved and to love unconditionally – it is the greatest gift we can give and receive.
To trust so totally in what we feel for another person and want all of it nothing – that is, indeed the purpose of life!
Laura´s last blog ..Its time to P-A-R-T-Y
Comment by Mark
| November 22nd, 2009
To love unconditional is the only true love there is.
Mark´s last blog ..Doing Good Versus Doing Nothing