Observing the absence of romance around "there" might be quite dissapointing and prompt a critical stance outbursting in a general expression of cultural critique loaded with moral value towards "those" who apparently have failed to see the value of romance in "their" encounters with other people (with "themselves"?; "us"?; some other "others"?). This seems to be both the source and the target of Turner's disenchantment in ever so brilliant alster "A Certain Romance", a last track on Sheffield greatest 2006 debut album.
So far so good, the critique gets through and makes very much sense - not many people can say that they can't recognize themselves in the main sentiment of the song (save for "those" who are blind for romance, that is). But what if...?
What if "them" is not "them"? What if "them" is "us"? Indeed, Turner does address this issue as well, asserting that also friends can sometimes "overstep the line"... but it's somehow different. It's different because when it comes to real friends we just know that there's romance around "here" and then we're all good. Due to the certainty of the romance we share we cannot possibbly "get angry in the same way... no, not in the same way". Due to our certain romance we understand. Certainly! Still, what if...?
What if we suddenly cought ourselves feeling unease and fear... doubt... that the romance we thought was there actually is not... that its certainty is not so certain any more? What if...? What if it's still here but has become rather uncertain? What if...? What if it is gone? What if...? What if it was never there? And still we keep claiming to know its value, or at least we'd like to think we do. "We"?! But this would be quite a paradox, now wouldn't it! How could such a fear ever exist amongst the ones who truly know the value of romance? If we truly knew it, how could its absence be blamed on our ignorance regarding its value? What can it be, then? Ignorance of ignorance, perhaps? Or maybe blindness caused by a way too self-centered outlook? Finding our friends not worthy of our oh so valuable romance? Pure evil? Something else?
What if...?
What if "no romance" was all along an accepted part of the game that was more ignored than embraced, really... a part of the game handled with denial - a denial that makes the game possible at all? What if the whole friendship - together with its artificially built-in sense of "romance" - was really founded on denial and is forever depending on that same denial for its continued existence? Then, the question is: To deny or not do deny? What if what is denied is suddenly recognized and brought to the fore? Would it just make the entire relationship breakdown and collapse like a house of cards? Or would it prove to ba a result of paranoia turning the fear into a self-fulfilling prophecy... ruining everything we really loved... staining the purity of all things beautiful we shared... killing a certain romance?
What if...?
What if your fear of missing romance is but a mirror of your own errors - something both hard to grasp and even harder to come to grips with.
What if...?
Am I receiving romance?
Am I worthy of romance?
Am I giving away romance?
Am I...?
Am I capable of romance?
Compared to the tormenting thought of the uncertain romance amongst the ones who really matter, absence romance around "there" suddenly seems so trivial.
No comments:
Post a Comment