You like because, You love despite.
-Becca (Step It Up)
In an age where swiping right has overtaken love letters and romantic comedies grace our screens, being a hopeless romantic can feel like an anachronism. Hopeless romantics believe they will find the love of their lives, and I, for one, am a hopeless romantic. As a self-proclaimed hopeless romantic, I want to clarify that we are not lonely people with amoebic self-esteem. In fact, we're the polar opposite: social, bubbly, optimistic, and, more often than not, surrounded by more people than is possibly needed. This falls under the theory that the more people you're around, the higher your chances.
I am talking about the kind of love when Klaus first saw Caroline in a blue ball gown, the kind Taylor Swift refers to when she sings, "I want to wear his initial on a chain around my neck, not because he owns me, but cause he really knows me." Or when Emily Brontë wrote in Wuthering Heights, "He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." the kind where you dance in the rain and wander the streets late at night together. Isn't that just beautiful?
I believe that someone is out there for all of us. I believe in someone serenading someone they care about at 3 a.m., regardless of the weather, proximity, gas price, or singing ability. I believe in love as an all-encompassing force that transcends sensibility and fear. I think that one day I will meet someone who can read my awful handwriting, understand the importance of talking to one another, know that I get cranky when I'm hungry, know how much I despise roses, and know how much I adore handwritten letters.
Sadly, hopeless romantics have a terrible reputation for romanticizing the ideal love. We have a reputation for being 'serial daters' or for falling in love too quickly and hard. However, we are simply in love with love. We notice that the sun is shining behind the clouds and have a glass-half-full attitude toward the world. In general, our understanding of romance has evolved. It's become less severe and casual, though only in some cases. When most people think of dating, they envision dinner after dinner and splurging all the time. However, this does not have to be the case. We hopeless romantics want a relationship in which you don't have to speak to be understood or change because he/she loves you just the way you are. A relationship in which age, race, and social status are irrelevant, where the size of a diamond isn't always a measure of love, and where something as simple as pizza can be every bit as romantic as a five-star dinner.
I can recall many films in which the on-screen couple and their love story are so beautifully depicted that they leave me speechless. These unrealistic romantic comedies are always filled with conflict that the couple must resolve, but that is the definition of love. Working through the difficulties of love entails compromising, accepting, and embracing the person you love with all their flaws. Making sacrifices for love means meeting in the middle.
I've chosen to live a life as a hopeless romantic, and you should do the same. Look, like much of the rest of the world, I used to be a cynic. At the time, I considered myself a realist; after all, what are the odds that a person will meet their forever person on a planet with 7.9 billion people? I can't blame people for being skeptical because the dating scene has evolved significantly. But I refuse to believe that Tinder and Hinge represent the ultimate, perfect journey of human beings finding love on Earth. I'd rather stick to believing that every Monica will find her Chandler, that one day we'll all find someone to call our own. Hopeless Romantic Hopeless Romantic Hopeless Romantic
