Part-time Lover

“Call up, ring once, hang up the phone, to let me know you made it home,Don’t want nothing to be wrong with part-time lover…”

“We are undercover passion on the run, Chasing love up against the sun,We are strangers by day, lovers by night...Knowing it’s so wrong, but feeling so right”

Do the lyrics sound familiar? Very catchy indeed, by Stevie Wonder. Every time I hear the song, the tune keeps on playing in my head for a quite a while.

To delve deeper, the songwriter has really captured reality with those words. We’ve seen it before our very eyes, heard confessions and details of where, when, why or even how. Perhaps, it might have also almost happened to some of us.

As a kid, I always thought of such things as downright despicable and wondered how terrible people were as I watched movies and heard stories. Well, I still think it’s not right. But as I get older, I begin to understand that people don’t wake up one day and decide to be bad. Feelings and thoughts are real, temptations come to all, and it could happen to anyone of us.

Sometimes life becomes too routine. Some things looking nice will always pass by, and temptations sizzle up the mundane. It’s human nature to be attracted to something that fills that thirst for adventure. While some find it in infidelity, there’s so much in the world that we could do.

Perhaps, things are not going the way it should in a relationship. The other half might not fulfill all that is wanted and desired, either knowingly or unknowingly. The issues are not communicated nor resolved. And rarely do we want to see our own flaws, although sometimes it’s really not our fault. Then, shines the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’– a willing, caring and exciting secret sweetheart, and there you have it!

We humans are such insatiable creatures. At times, everything goes smoothly. We live comfortably, with almost everything one could ask for. Yet, perfection is not enough. We still desire something new – perhaps in the form of a curvaceous figure, sweet words, pretty gifts, or a sensual touch – something apart from what we already have.

Whatever the reasons, deep down we know, those are just attempts to rationalize and justify the wrongs to make it sound ok, at least to ourselves. We may say life is short and it’s a waste not to do what we want. Or we may whine, “If I can’t have the real thing, what’s wrong to have a little fun sometime?” Or even, “It’s a need I have to fulfill. In fact, everyone’s doing it.” We do this to cover guilt, but we prefer not to admit it.

Mere excuses – if we are truly honest to ourselves. Wrong is wrong. Right is right.

Goodness is like a diamond that needs to be sought after, while evil shouts out loud, hanging temptations up for grabs. We know that both God and the Devil are there. The battle is on, the choice is ours.

We are like empty glasses with a crack, which constantly needs to be filled. If we want to be pure, we must continuously fill it with good. Sometimes, we pretend not to see the darker shades. We mix and dilute the colors so that we’re neither here, nor there. Then we convince ourselves that being in the middle scale makes it all right.

I’d like to conclude with my own version of the rhythmic lyrics.

For the married:

I’ve got a spouse, to me the best,
I know not everyone’s as blessed,
I’ve got no time, no cause, no heart,
To be a part-time lover.

For the single:

When love is flowing from my heart,
I give it full, never just half,
I love myself, I care too much,
To be a part-time lover.

Here’s to full-time love!