Friday in France...sorta

As I have said before: I like to spend my Fridays on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, unwinding completely. While I would usually sit and watch episode after episode of Dexter (I'm hooked), since I have viewing buddies now (who are not available tonight) I instead watched a French romcom called L'arnacoeur (Hearbreaker). This flick reminded me why I adore foreign film...especially those of the French variety. There is something so unique, but yet cliche about French romance. The lead man is always so sensual without being obscenely gorgeous. This puts your focus on his character, his personality, his intellect. On top of that, he's just so male. And he's so romantic. French films create an ideal that--quite frankly--is not healthy for single girls to let into their spirit.

What do I mean? I mean, I was sitting here thinking: I want ALL of this to happen to me. Which is ridiculous, because this movie is crazy outlandish. It's ridiculous because really, I'm happy when guys do the simple stuff: ask you out for dinner and a movie. But this takes it to a different level. At one point, they break into what is like a mini-french version of Sea World and swim with dolphins. It was super romantic despite:

1) There would be WAY better security
2) I feel like the dolphins aren't always in the pool
3) They jumped in that water w/o hesitation...I would be afraid at first (this may be due to my inability to swim though...)

Now, I won't accept less than crazy outlandish romance! (hahaha, I will accept less--possibly way less--but now...I won't be "wowed"). This got me to thinking, besides great french films, what else ruins women's perceptions of love? What else can take normal "wow" factor and turn it humdrum? This is what I came up with:

1. The Notebook
2. Romance novels
3. Lying friends
4. The rare, over-the-top good guy

The Notebook

Noah to  Allie: "If you're a bird...I'm a bird." Why do we fall to pieces for such drivel? Or
Noah to Allie: "So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday." Need I quote more?

Romance Novels

The best romance novels take a girl's most implausible fantasies, and makes them plausible for a heroine that you can identify with (because she's plucky but yet vulnerable; independent, but yet ready for love; blah, blah, blah). You start the romance novel with the mindset of: "this is fiction." But by the end of the novel, you start to think "art imitates life...or life imitates art...WHATEVER" and start to think that no one could just dream up love this pure; this has to be based (however loosely) on someone's life experience. Well, ummm...actually NO IT DOESN'T. But don't let that deter you from losing yourself in the ridiculous fun of a good romance novel. Check out this list of what some consider to be the 10 Greatest Romance Novels of All Time. I know for a fact, that I've read two of those.

Lying Friends

Okay, our friends may not be liars, but they've got what I'm talking about next: the rare, over-the-top good guy. You know, the guy who calls the manufacturer and has them custom-make you a shoe that is no longer being sold in stores because he knows how badly you want it. Or the guy who changes your tire...in the rain, in the mud, with a suit on (because he came straight from work to rescue you). Or the guy who puts his coat over a freaking puddle so your feet don't get wet (does anyone actually do this?!). Everyone has a girlfriend who tells you a story of the awesomeness of their boyfriend, fiance, or husband who is sooo freaking great you just want to smack them. You think these are lies, because you've met this guy. He doesn't seem that gallant, but clearly, when you're not around he turns from Clark Kent (who wasn't that shabby at all) into Superman (who is clearly a step above Clark Kent...no glasses and slicked back hair!!). However, lie or no lie, this girl makes you want what she has, a romance novel without the binding...because it is written on her heart (like the word of God...bahaha).

The Rare, Over-the-Top Good Guy

Who are these fools? They are the people who actually would build us a house (a la The Notebook). I know these guys. They are married to some of my friends. It's legit. These are guys who own books called 1001 Ways to Be Romantic, and who think up about 1001 more ways to be romantic on top of those, because it's in their blood to be awesome. And trust me, that is a rare blood type. That's the AB- of love.

Maybe it's not unhealthy; I think we should hold on to some of the fictional idealism. It's fun. In any case, I'm happy to write this post. I had fun writing it. I hope you had fun reading it.

Happy Friday!!

Our Friendship is Over!

Long time, no post right?!! Anyway, there are these animated computer movies that are kind of all the rage right now on youtube. So...I'm watching a couple during my lunch break, thinking: "I can do this!" And so I did. It's an amalgamation of 1) friends who create mountains of love out of the smallest speck of boy attention, and 2) my theory of why single girls often lose their married friends. So here goes, my first movie!!!

Part Joke




Part Serious

There’s a certain solidarity in being two (or three, or however many) single women. It’s like you instantly have something in common with someone who you don’t actually have anything in common with. For the brief time that you are both single, you share the same hopes, the same dreams, and the same goals…the same desire for a life lived with a good man. And we wonder why we lose our friends to marriage? Maybe it's not the marriage that precipitates the loss, but rather, the natural dissolution of a friendship based on mere circumstance and necessity. Is it possible that we need this friend just to see us the through the storm? I think that sometimes we’ve been out in the rain so long, we don’t recognize that we’re only standing under the umbrella of friendship so as not to get soaking wet. Soaking wet. But the raindrops still hit us, we step in puddles of loneliness, and we yearn for sunny days. It’s crazy to think how the sun can shine on one person, and yet leave another totally cast in darkness.

Heavy.

But for real, I don't believe this to be true of all friendships. We know the rules, 1) some for a reason, 2) some for a season, and 3) some for a lifetime. Marriage, however, can be a test of where the friendship falls in that spectrum. Sometimes we don't even have to wait for marriage. Sometimes a serious boyfriend can shed light on the truth of a relationship's foundation. Are you someone they want to stand by, or are you merely a stand-in?

Food for thought.

So there you go, my part joke/part serious for the month.