Guilty pleasures...By: Andra

When the word „pleasure” comes into our minds, each of us thinks of something different, things that make us feel good, that give us a feeling of comfort, euphoria or confidence. Now I am picturing some of the situations that make us feel happy: little guilty pleasures. We all have little secrets that we don’t want the others to know, secrets that would make us feel embarrassed and uncomfortable when facing people. That is why they are called guilty pleasures.

It is well known that women are more sensitive than men, that we burst into tears at every little thing and even though we do not like to share that with the rest of the world, we still have times when we feel like being alone and see a romantic movie or why not, watch a soap opera. I’m curious how many of you will admit it (even to yourself) that there was a time when you looked at cheesy soap operas. And I am pretty sure that you came home almost every day just in time to see the next episode of a love story between Jose Armando and the many women in his life. In spite of waiting impatiently every day for the next 50 minutes of intense emotions, you used to agree with your friends when saying that soap operas are just silly serials made for bored housewives longing for their youth. Or how many times did you cry while watching a romantic comedy, thinking and hoping that one day the same thing will happen to you, that you will meet the love of your life and he will chase you at the airport to tell you that he loves you or ask you to marry him in the middle of a football game, with the whole stadium staring at you?

Some women are „obsessed” with shopping (I know most of the men will say: „All women are obsessed with shopping.”) but I am talking now about those women who buy things just because they feel the need to do it, things that they don’t even need or use.

Do you recognize yourself in this picture? If you have in your closet dresses or shoes that you bought 3 months ago and they still have the tag on or if you bought a pair of shoes that you won’t longer like the second you get home then you should consider getting a financial consultant. I am just joking… or not.

But why talk only about women? As crazy as our hobbies or little pleasures are, they look insignificant comparing to what most men do. It is funny to see a woman crying on a love song but how would it be to hear a man singing all the lyrics of a Bryan Adams song, truly feeling the melody while listening to it, alone in the car? Once in a while, between all the CDs with Parazitii, 50 Cent, Linkin Park or Bon Jovi they feel the need to listen to a little bit of Enrique Iglesias or Michael Bolton, don’t they? It is nothing to be ashamed of, but it is a well hidden secret especially from other boys who would definitely make fun of you forever if they only knew your favourite song (don’t worry, maybe it is their favourite song too).

Some men like to watch movies like ’’Conan the Barbarian”, ’’Hercules’’ or any other hero that transposes them into a parallel universe where they are as strong and rebel as their character and they feel they could do the same thing in the normal life, day by day, but only if they had too. They have superpowers, they are strong as a bull, but they just don’t need to use their strength. Also we have men who like to see romantic comedies and act like they are constraint to do that because of their wives/girlfriends when in fact they couldn’t wait to see a movie with a very happy ending and even shed a tear or two when something really bad happens to the the leading actor.

And let’s not start talking about sweets. I don’t know what it is with us, women, that makes us feel so out of control near candies, chocolate or any kind of sweets. We are

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attracted to them like magnets. Maybe it is the thought of something „forbidden” that makes them so attractive. We all know or say that we shouldn’t eat many sweets because it will eventually make us fat but still some of us eat chocolate almost every day. Even when we are on a diet and eat only salads or tasteless boiled vegetables, when we are alone we like to eat, once in a while, a little piece of chocolate, saying it won’t matter that much. But let’s admit it, we can’t stop just at one piece of chocolate and almost every time we end up eating more. I don’t know about you, but I need it when I’m upset, I swallow a whole cookie, chocolate or ice-cream thinking it will make me feel better (at some level it is true: sugar gives us energy and makes us feel happier or at least that is what we are saying to ourselves) but after that, with a full stomach, literally feeling sick because of the abuse of sweets I start feeling bad that I ate so much and start thinking that I am going to get fat, getting in the same state of depression I’ve been in the beginning: it is like a vicious circle.

At the end of the day these are the little things that make us feel happy or that allow us to get out of a bad mood, the little secrets that we keep safely away from everyone’s eyes. And I know many of you won’t even admit you have these kind of things but in every one of you lies a little rebel happy to turn off the lights when they get home, put on a silly song or an episode of your favourite soap opera and eat a whole chocolate or a bucket of ice cream between the crocodile tears that you shed while listening to Maria Isabela crying because she lost Jose Armando. So, what’s your little secret?... ssssttt… I won’t tell…