I have a confession to make, and it may come as a surprise to most of you since I tend to use a cynical and dare I say, bitter voice in most of my posts. But here goes nothing:
I am a hopeless romantic in the most shameful sense of the phrase.
It is true. When other little girls were avoiding boys and thinking they had cooties, I was imagining romantic moments on bridges with them. I wasn’t a big reader as a kid, I never got into Goosebumps or the Babysitter Club, but I loved the classics. Anything by Mark Twain, the Anne of Green Gables series, The Three Muskateers, etc. But my favorite book of all was “Little Women”. I related to Jo March in so many ways; I loved writing and acting, I was always awkward and saying inappropriate things, and I often found that my strong will and stubbornness caused me trouble. The only thing I was missing was a set of sisters to be my companions. I can’t count the number of times I have read “Little Women” and each time I read it, I fall more in love. However, I have always taken serious issue with Jo March’s decision to refuse Laurie’s hand in marriage. I just don’t know what Louisa May Alcott was thinking when she chose to tear them apart! People often battle me on this because they believe Jo found a good match in Friedrich, but I strongly disagree! Friedrich is fine and all, but the love Jo shared with him was just a convenient one. The love that Laurie had for Jo was passionate and deep. He loved her so, so much and he always did! He spent his youth loving her and would have followed her to the ends of the earth had she not turned him down. There is an entire chapter of the book dedicated to this conversation, with the fitting name, ‘Heartache’...
“I’ve loved you ever since I’ve known you, Jo, couldn’t help it, you’ve been so good to me. I’ve tried to show it, but you wouldn’t let me. Now I’m going to make you hear, and give me an answer, for I can’t go on so any longer...I can’t love anyone else, and I’ll never forget you, Jo, never! Never!”
And now the film adaptation of that moment (a regular in my DVD player):
HOW ON EARTH DO YOU DENY THAT?!!!! I’m not just talking about Christian Bale, although his portrayal of Laurie certainly did not hurt my love of the character. But I can’t handle Laurie’s enduring love for Jo. Will any girl out there dare challenge me when I say that this is what we all want?! Ever since I was a little girl, I have dreamed of a long time friend professing his undying love for me on a bridge. (In case you didn’t catch on, I have a weird obsession with bridges). No one from my childhood neighborhood because they are all gross, but someone I have known for a long time who has just admired me and loved me and has waited for the right time to tell me. Sigh. I am making my heart turn into mush over here, so I am just ending now before I get even more weird with my hopeless romantic musings. Just know that I am holding out for my own Laurie, and when we have our moment on the bridge I will not be so unreasonable as to deny his love.
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