THE GREATEST MAGICIANS have something to learn from Mr. Mistoffelees’ Conjuring Turn – PRESTO! In a reality that is so complex, one begs to ask: what if it’s you? And what if it’s me? And what if that’s all that we needed to be for the rest of the world to fall away? What do you say?  

And then the breeze sang her most melodious song. As what a wing woman ought to do, she then gently tapped over the man’s trembling shoulder, encouraging him to take the risk. There was harmony all around with the weather being fine, flowers dancing gracefully, and a young man standing shakingly before his beloved—an unusually perfect day, as if everything were under his behest. Taking the chance of a lifetime, the man held her hand and bent on one knee while quivering as he let out the words “will you marry me?”  

“…why is there a heavy price tag for everything—including that bag, to live, and the ones that can’t be seen?”

The earth stood still with time seemingly losing all control. There was a deafening, eerily silent silence in-between. In that moment, they were alone, but they were alone together – which was the only thing that he ever wanted, to have a world where there is her by his side. “I promise to protect, cherish, and love you forever,” he declared. 

“But how precious is a vow if it is measured in mere 299 Philippine Pesos?” she replied, disappointingly. 

 Arriving at the second act of the musical Dear Evan Hansen (DEH), Zoe Murphy, in a conversation with Evan, gave certainty to their relationship through letting out an impactful line “you don’t have to be scared you’re not enough, ‘cause what we’ve got going is good.” Needless to say, a fiction is truly as such. Rarely will there be occurrences where the lines of reality and fantasy intertwine as both are literally of different worlds. Hence, in this case, a price is a price. It defines the worth and value of a product while taking into account the work behind-the-scenes and the demand and supply phenomenon of a given context. I thought for sure that a price defines the value of what’s tangible, after all, the abstract is imperceptible, more so immeasurable. But now, why is there a heavy price tag for everything—including that bag, to live, and the ones that can’t be seen?  

Ceteris Paribus, which is the Latin word for “all other things being equal,” applies to the phenomenon of the law of demand and supply. Basically, the law states that “if a product has a high demand and low supply, the price will increase. Conversely, if there is low demand and high supply, the price will decrease.” Everything is connected, and taking into our discussion the issue of the Php299 engagement ring. What can we infer of this? From the price alone, is it safe to surmise that there exists a high supply of rings but a low demand of love? The dilemma is further heightened when quality is considered—with how such is dependent on the rings’ craftsmanship, the materials being used, and the like, it opens up another query on whether love should be measured through the superficial and the mundane.   

Such a predicament became the heated subject of dispute within the virtual community. While some have wielded that the issue was a portrayal of romanticizing the barest minimum at best, others, on the other hand, sought to look deeper on the matter by considering the factors surrounding it, most popularly on the financial and personal aspects of the proposing party.  

Looking into the issue, many have overlooked the fact that a proposal through a ring is an act of giving, per se, a humbling endeavor of looking beyond the personal and transcending the confines of self-interest in an effort to embrace the needs and aspirations of others. Especially if the act was made with an intent to marry, an engagement ring is vital to determine whether there exists a dedicating factor to unite as one. It should be emphasized that finding the perfect engagement ring is never done to flaunt one’s stature nor is it even a criterion to measure affection. Rather, to reiterate, it’s a show of one’s effort to become one—after all, you can love without having the intent of marriage.  

Essentially, whether or not the intent of marriage is on discussion, establishing rapport is key. Just as the act of giving an engagement ring transcends self-interest, the receiving party should also carry with it the value of empathy toward his/her partner whatever the circumstances may be. While a ring of high caliber adorns the finger, love transcends beyond the glamor.  

Oh! Well, I never! Was there ever a cat so clever as magical Mr. Mistoffelees?  

Email me at thebedan_associateeditor@sanbeda.edu.ph