Reality vs Expectations. It is illustrated finely in the movie “500 Days of Summer” in which the protagonist goes to see his ex-girlfriend (Summer) at a wedding, hoping that she will be interested in rekindling their romance. Once he arrives, the camera morphs into two side-by-side shots. One of them titled “Reality” and the other “Expectations”.
The two scenes are shown simultaneously. The scene for “Expectations” shows the former lovers reconnecting, with Summer smiling warmly at him and sparks fly immediately. The “Reality” scene however, is much different and we see Summer eventually having to explain that she’s moved on in a more obvious manner after Romeo isn’t quite taking the hint.
When Tom Brady moved to Tampa Bay, my hatred was still strong. I made a proclamation. “If the Bucs make it to the Super Bowl, I’ll eat a Brady card live on camera”. The message was pinned for the future and I immediately realized I had put myself in a very idiotic position based on emotions.
Naturally, the Bucs not only made it to the Super Bowl but won the Super Bowl. I knew what the penance once. Long ago on the internet, in my younger days I also made a rash, emotionally-charged bet that did not go my way. I promised to delete my account and then I did not. Only one person out of thousands seemed to care, but that was enough to bother me.
You make a bet, you own it. Your word is your bond, etc. So I started soliciting opinions on which card stock might be best for me to eat. The consensus was to find an older paper card. Because price is always higher on Brady cards, it also had to be a Brady card of nominal value, or should I say… NOM-inal? (I’m so sorry).
The result?
Yes, dipped in Taco Bell Fire Sauce, I consumed the Brady card like a Chalupa Supreme with Cinnamon Twists. I think now about the weight of reality vs expectations. What we want to happen is often so strong that our desire guides us to the wrong conclusions.