Men In The Pedestal

Behind a great man is a great woman. That’s how it goes but apparently, behind a man’s failure is also a woman.  Have you ever noticed that great men were always been toppled by a woman? In the past years, we have seen this correlation come to life before our very eyes.

Who could forget the now infamous, White House Intern Monica Lewinsky and a so called friend Linda Tripp who tediously recorder her conversation with Monica that almost cause President Clinton’s impeachment.  And yet Hilary Clinton with her grace and elegance faced the humiliation and embarrassment with head held high and came out the stronger person she is right now.  I admire her for that.

Eliot Spitzer, former Governor of New York, with a $1,000 per hour call girl named Ashey Alexandra Duprè.

John Edwards, Senator and former candidate for President, affair with a former videographer Reille Hunter.  What’s extremely sad about this story is that the wife, Elizabeth who stands by this man was diagnosed with incurable breast cancer while this scandal was unfolding.  And he denied fathering a child with Hunter not admitting it until the end.

Mr. Universe himself was not spared from this spectacle. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Terminator was terminated (hahaha…) by his wife Maria Shriver, a Kennedy at that, after an explosive news about an affair with the housekeeper and having fathered a son with her.  But in spite of that Maria Shriver stand by her man that made a lot of women admire her more.  Eventually though, I guess her patience run out too, gave up and then file for divorce.  Come to think of it now, perhaps she got tired of all the other ones he had an affair with, as per the book he’s written where he confesses all his extra marital affair to his wife which I personally think is sick.  Why would you kick a person in the gut while they are already down in the gutter?  I see him now as a pathetic individual who is selfish and unkind.  Though I love his movies (i.e., The Terminator {I guess because he doesn’t have a dialogue except for the famous “I’ll be back”}, Predator, True Lies {indeed}, and of course my favorite Eraser) it is all lies.

 

And just recently, a well respected CIA Director David Petraeus not so much as publicly admitted to having the affair with the biographer Paula Broadwell yet it is all over the news and sadly the cause of his resignation from a very prominent position in the government.  Yet again, his wife Holly Knowlton though furious and hurt, stands by her man.   But the big concern here now is if he passed on classified information to her during the affair that may jeopardized the national security.  This affair might have not been know if it hadn’t been for Jill Kelly who complained to the FBI of harassment from Paula Broadwell who apparently is threatened by Ms. Kelly’s presence in the life of Gen. Petraeus.

What is wrong with these stories?  Powerful men, publicly adored and respected yet they find themselves in an awkward situations.  The key word here is “power”.  They are confident they can never be caught.  They believe they can get away with everything. And they are most certainly hoped  are going to be forgiven.  But like everything else, they are wrong with that conclusion.  Well, just some of them.

So there they were, men in pedestal, now in the hall of shame.

A Day of Celebration

As you all know, I just recently celebrated my birthday.  Back home, on a day like that, I get to have a birthday leave.  But celebration always starts on the weekend before the actual date.  My mother would cook me her special recipe called the mustard hotdog beef wrapped, my favorite of course.  My sister would cook her pansit or my sister in law would make her spaghetti with cream. Any of those, I know I would enjoy that Sunday right before my birthday celebrating with my whole family.  On the exact date though, I would imagine a wonderful plan.  Since my husband has to work that day, after he leaves for work, I would take my time eating my breakfast of coffee and pandesal with cream cheese.  Lounge around a bit before hitting the shower and off I go to  start the day with a trip at the parlor.  I will have my nails done, manicure and pedicure of course.  I will have my hair trimmed or maybe a new haircut is in order.  By the time I get done, it will be lunch time.  I will have to meet my friends for that.  Maybe a lunch out for them in Megamall or somewhere near their office will be a great place.  Chatting away during lunch could be exhausting so a movie will relax me a bit.  After a movie, shopping is next in the agenda.  This will surely take much of the time in the afternoon so while waiting for my friends to get off work, a snack at Panera Bread is perfect.  And so, the night life starts in a bar somewhere in Malate.  We would watch a live band or maybe sing our heart out at a videoke bar.  It would be in the wee hours of the morning when I would be home.

Aaahhh … a day of celebration.

But not here. On my birthday, I had to work. There is no birthday leave.  There is no weekend celebration.  And there is certainly no day in the spa.  The celebration happens a day after the actual birthday.  I had to buy Pansit Palabok and eggrolls from a Filipino store. Guests are friends whom I consider our family.  Well, this is the life I have now.  No more gallivanting to the mall in any given day.  No more leisure spa treatments, though my nails both hands and feet of course, is in desperate need of cleaning.  No more free time to do whatever I want even on a work week. 

This is the life I have now.  Get over it already!