The Shower Curtain

I was sitting on the counter in the bathroom, with the picture of my three children in hand, reminiscing the countless moments the bathroom floor was flooded when my two boys played in the bathtub. I remembered telling them not to get me wet, but to no avail. Those little hands, those almond eyes, the short black hairs on their noggins – I remember washing them all…

I sighed and shook my head as my thoughts turned to the shower curtain pushed aside to reveal the porcelain-imitation tub.
I realized that this shower curtain – this green and burgundy-colored, flower-patterned, ugly shower curtain – had been hanging in this bathroom since our first year in this house. This shower curtain was our prize from a Chinese gift giving reciprocity during a work Christmas party. I never cared for it, but the colors and flowers matched our décor at the time and despite my grumblings, I caved in to my wife’s pleadings.
It was then that I began to realize the number of other concessions and sacrifices I made to make my marriage work. I can’t even imagine where to begin, but as those words “Love keeps no record of wrongs” echo in the tunnels of my mental thought, I cringe at the cogitation of being played a fool.
Was I being a loyal and loving husband, or was I just being a blind and naïve player in this two-player game of love? Oh who cares!

I rushed to the kitchen, grabbed my wallet and keys, and made a rather speedy trip to Wal-Mart.
But first, I had to stop at the batting cage one block from my intended destination to release some of the frustration and anguish I was beginning to feel.
I made my way to the bath department inside Wal-Mart, soaked from sweating after batting $10 worth of baseballs at the batting cage.
I grabbed an off-white (maybe light gold) colored shower curtain, a new liner, and these beautiful silver ball-tipped curtain rings. Mind you, I am no Martha Stewart, but I was smiling as I paid for the stuff.
Back at my house, I wasted no time tearing away the flowery shower curtain. “Good riddance” I said as I crammed the shower curtain inside the trash can, slamming the lid down.
I put up the new curtain, liner, and rings – then admired my work.
It was then that my thoughts began to wrestle themselves.
“Dude, You’re back! Whatever happened to you?”
“You used to have style… You used to be a party animal – always at the dance floor, people wishing they could dance like you...Our band could have gone places!”
“Yeah man, but why did you ever give it all up? I remember you met this girl and you said you were going to change a lot of things to make it work with her, and…”

“…Oh, I see.”

...I turned on the computer and searched through some of my collection of Latin music. I found "Margarita"
I put on the loose, polka-dotted silk shirt and the baggy zoot-suit pant ensemble I wore on my weekend night-life during the single years...they still fit.
I turned on the song, setting the speakers to the highest level. I let the music envelop me as my body begins to sway to the rhythm.
"Margarita...Yo te sueno cada dia..." the song began.

Yep, still got the moves... My voice still sounds decent...

It’s amazing the outcome when we choose to change ourselves for the ones we love.
It’s too bad the ones we love can sometimes easily forget – or don’t see – the sacrifices we make everyday for them.

Sigh!