A Woman With Purpose

On a Sunday, what better way to spend your time that to be in the comfort of your home, relaxing and doing absolutely nothing? As good as it sounds, it is as good as it gets. While spending my day in a New Jersey "Palace", I flipped through the channels and came across an African American play on BET. One would readily mistake it for one of Tyler Perry's masterpieces, but surprisingly enough, it was produced by David E. Talbert. Ring a bell? Interested in the fact that others are capable of staging African American inspired plays, I decided to put the remote down. The play is called Love on Layaway. Here's a quick synopsis courtesy of BET.com:

David E. Talbert's “Love On Layaway” is a wildly inventive, laugh-out-loud
journey inside the lives of three couples living in a Philadelphia neighborhood.
First, there's Ms. Willanetta (Cassi Davis), who after a life-changing religious
experience, no longer wants to have relations with her suitor of 12 years, Renzo
(Buddy Lewis). Next, there's Epiphany (Joi Campbell), a single mother who has
yet to decide who will be the man in her life, her new boyfriend Reggie (Chico
Bennymon) or her 6-year-old son, Man Man. Finally, there's Monique Graham
(Deborah Cox), who feels as if her relationship with live-in boyfriend Anthony
(Mel Jackson) is on layaway and he's making the absolute lowest monthly
payments.

One particular scene in the play caught my attention in particular. After all the men are feeling down and out and are constantly placing the blame for the turmoil in their relationships on their spouse and other suitors, one man makes a statement that not only changed their outlook on their relationships, but also influenced me to consider his thought. What he stated was this:

"Every time you break a woman's heart, you leave the gate open for another man to mend it. Everything that a woman does has a purpose. When women cheat, they need a reason. When men cheat, all they need is a location".

Pretty powerful, huh? But of course, this does not apply to all situations but more commonly than not so common, it definitely applies and pin points an intriguing point. Having been in the situation on a couple of occasions, what better way to get over a break-up than starting anew with an upgrade? After all it's way more healthy than pounds of ice cream and a lifetime movie network marathon accompanied by tissues and tears galore. Often times, what women and men alike forget to keep front and center is that they themselves are the prize. While men are more mental and physically as their female counterparts bare the emotional side, women feel blessed and fully repaid when they can smile and honestly say that they are happy. When the tears begin to stream and there's one man out the rest who offers a shoulder, a word of advice, and a nod in understanding, it gives women a sense of comfort. That comfort is what puts a smile back on our faces and causes our attraction to not only shift but redirect itself to the man who was there when you felt broken and disarrayed and helped put the pieces back in better condition then they were to start. While from an outsider's perspective it may appear as though that was the plan all along (that is starting a connection with someone else) or that going back to the drawing board so soon is emotionally unhealthy, I find it refreshing, nurturing and a part of life. With every relationship experience, I take it as a blessing. It not only helps me to better choose future prospectives, but it also shapes and defines what is considered to be my "type" and it also induces my growth as a woman and a potential mate for a deserving young man. It is a once in a lifetime experience to get it right the first or even the second time around. Practice makes near perfect, and in order to determine if he is Mr.Right, you gotta self-evaluate yourself and make sure that you are Mrs. Right. All too often, females parade around blurting "I need a real man" speaking way too soon, when they hardly have what it takes to define themselves as a woman. If you are going to commit, you have to become that man's backbone, what good will it do when they need guidance and turn to find their simply dealing with a young girl who's verbalized "needs" are wiser and more far fetched than she is in all actuality?