I love you. You're perfect. Now change.

I swear, inspiration comes from the oddest places sometimes. Today I was in the shower listening to the only station that comes in clearly on my Shower Bug Radio when Summer Nights from the movie Grease came on. I don't mind that light rock is the only thing I can hear in the shower. Especially since my near-death experience when I had it tuned to a static-ridden but audible Hot 97 once and almost busted my ass two-stepping to Jamie Foxx Blame It. Sidebar: Why does director Ron "Opie Taylor" Howard look Sofa King cool in that video? Anyway- I don't want to be found naked, dripping wet, shower curtain rings abound, eyes rolled back with my neck broken at some grotesque angle. I can't go out like that. It's been tuned to KJoy ever since.

So I remembered Grease being my eldest sister's favorite movie- and my thoughts drifted. If anyone hasn't seen the film, rent it. I know it's a musical that some may find corny, but the energy of the opening song is enough to get you interested. Now, whether you stay hooked is completely up to you.
My thoughts wandered to the plot of the movie and I remembered how much the lead characters were feeling each other. She was a good girl from Australia on vacation and had to go back home. He was a too-cool-for school guy from California. They spent every day at the beach. As it turns out, she wound up staying and attending the same High School as him. True to form- he plays it cool as though what they had during the summer was nothing new to him. He is ridiculed by his friends for how prissy she is- and thus gives her the cold shoulder. It's not until their worlds collide again that they realize how little they may have had in common. Towards the end of the film however, something interesting happens.

In an attempt to shed her 'Goody Two Shoes' image- she undergoes a complete transformation. Her makeover consisted of skintight leather, sexy platform heels and she even took to smoking as an accessory. He on the other hand, does a 180 and actually gets more involved in sports at school. By the end of the movie, she turns his head in the provocative get-up; and she can't help but notice that he has traded his tough motorcycle jacket for a Varsity sweater. Instantly they are drawn to one another again- not because of the changes that were made for the other, but the fact that the change was never necessary. They never stopped feeling how they did on that beach. It's been years since I saw Grease, but one thing stands out to me. When it's for real, I mean- really real you'll be willing to make sacrifices and changes for that special someone. And the beauty in that, is if they are truly down with you- they won't need you to change one bit. But it's that willingness that goes a long way.

I've heard somewhere that men and women often lock horns because of this premise: Most women get the man first. Then they try to change the man they have. Instead of getting the man they want in the first place, they attempt to mold a square peg into a round hole. Big, big mistake. Huge. If you have to change for someone or they have to change who they are for you, then you should never be together in the first place. And if they are willing to make changes to be with you, that will show itself without you having to demand it. When someone shows you who they are- believe them.