"Big Syndrome"

I recently discovered that I suffer from something I'd like to refer to as "Big Syndrome". Okay, any fan of Sex and the City knows that Mr. Big was a huge ASS for the first and second a season and then rather unrealistically turned into an "okay" guy for the rest of the series. For those of you who have watched every episode at least three times (like moi), I want you to think back to the episode when Carrie gets back together with Big (I think it's the second time) and she wants him to meet her friends. For those who have no idea what I'm talking about Big (Carrie's boyfriend) agrees to go out for dinner with Carrie and her friends (Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte), but at the last minute, for a reason I can't remember, decides not go. So, Carrie meets up with her friends at the restaurant and is just about to tell them that Big is not coming (Miranda knows Big's an ass and already thinks he won't come), when Big comes walking down the stairs into the restaurant to their table....the BIG F-ING HERO. Now, the first time I saw this, my heart melted a bit....and I may have let out an "awww", but now it makes me want to throw my Cosmo (or glass of water) at the TV screen. All he did was do what he orginially said that he would do and just by showing up and not disappointing Carrie he's depicted as a great guy. Um, what? When did "just" sticking to your word become anything more than just sticking to your word?

When I thought about it some more, I, along with many other women I know, suffer from "Big Syndrome". It goes something like this, when you're so used to being disappointed by someone, you develop an immunity to it, so much so, that when they actually fail to disappoint, they are suddenly a wonderful person in your eyes. Common decency is suddenly replaced with something akin to an act of God. Oh, wow, you phoned when you said you were going to...baby, you're my hero! My, oh my, we actually are going out for dinner and a movie, instead of staying home and ordering take-out like you promised?!! Baby, I LOVE YOU! I think you get what I mean.

The sad thing is, when I actually dated someone a couple years ago who actually did all these things (phoned when he said he would, was ALWAYS early to pick me up, rarely broke plans and if he did, gave me ample warning and always made it up to me), I was COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY. When I told him this, he laughed and told me that he always did this for people he respected, which is just common sense.

I know that recovering from "Big Syndrome" is going to take some practice and may be a long process, but I'm willing to try because I'm slowly realising that BABY I'M WORTH IT!