First thing's first. Today is my day at
30POV! Be sure to go over and check it out. Otherwise, they're talking about firings, yo. And in this economy? Getting fired from a non-paying monthly contributorship hurts.
And, if you haven't already entered, don't forget about my
Sun Sauce giveaway.
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One of my favorite movies is
When Harry Met Sally.
It was on the other night and I was faced with the decision of going to sleep at a reasonable hour or staying up too late to watch it. I hit the sleep timer and eventually drifted to sleep to the sweet sounds of the awkward blind date where Harry and Sally set each other up with their best friends.
(I really must buy the DVD.)
What I love about this particular movie is that it's not your average romantic comedy.
Your standard romantic comedy is about a boy and a girl. They like or hate each other immediately, go through a series of hilarious (or at least mildly humorous) missteps, are torn apart or forced together and usually very quickly fall madly in love and live happily ever after.
In
While You Were Sleeping, Lucy has a thing for Peter, a man she's never met, and then falls in love with his brother, Jack, during the week that Peter is in a coma. Misstep, misunderstanding, hilarious bits about cats and shoes, and the two get engaged after literally knowing each other a week.
Bridget Jones spends most of a year hating Mark Darcy until she finds out that everything she ever thought she knew about him is wrong. And then, six weeks later, she is ready to marry him.
Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz switch houses for
The Holiday and spend two weeks falling in love with Jack Black and Jude Law respectively.
Never Been Kissed. Sabrina. Only You. My Big Fat Greek Wedding. French Kiss. The Colin Firth storyline in
Love Actually.
So many stories of people falling in love within a super short period of time. The obstacles they face are fairly superficial and charming. And totally unrealistic.
In the interest of full disclosure, I own and love every movie I've listed. But let's face it. They aren't reality.
(Which is part of why they are so much fun.)
When Harry Met Sally is different.
When Harry and Sally first meet, they don't like each other. At all. There's this whole conversation about how men and women can never be "just friends." As soon as they arrive in New York, they go their separate ways with no intention of seeing each other ever again.
Five years later, they run into each other, remember why they parted ways, and keep it that way.
Six years after THAT, they run into each other, spend a little time together and then a little more time together. Eleven years after their first meeting, they've both grown, matured, been through divorces and break ups. They're each in a different place in life. And they become friends.
Yes, they end up falling in love and get married only three months after they finally get together, but the point is that they become friends first. After knowing each other (or about each other) for eleven years.
I've met a couple of different guys online and even dated one or two. As in, we met, we started dating, that went on for a few months and then we broke up.
Over the last couple of months, there's been a sudden flurry of interest in my love life. Rather, in the lack thereof. I am NOT complaining. And I have NO problem with blind dates. I figure if I end up on a really horrible one, it'll just be a great story to share with you. So really, it's win-win.
Internet dating, blind dating, meeting someone and going out with them. It's all good. It's all great, even.
I've always preferred the idea of being friends first. I know girls are supposed to grow up swooning at the notion of love at first sight. I've never believed in that. To me, the true magic is when two friends suddenly realize they are in love with each other. I've seen it happen to people I know and adore. And that's the ultimate love story.
But, since I don't really have any single guy friends right now, I'll just keep going on those blind dates. Who knows? One of them just might surprise me.
What do you think: Love at first sight? Or friends first?
