I’ll be honest with you. I can be a hopeless romantic sometimes.
You might even say a part of me is in love with love. Consequently, I cry when I watch Titanic. I shipped Elizabeth and Darcy right from the start. I wish Winnie Foster had drunk the water and lived forever. I get down on my knees in front of the TV and beg Orlando Bloom not to leave poor Keira Knightley alone on that sandy beach, holding his heart, literally and figuratively, in her hands.
But that does not mean a guy and girl who sit on a swing for three starry-eyed, moonlit smooch parties have to get hitched.
I generally keep these thoughts to myself. So you can imagine my satisfaction when I realized I was not the only one coming to this conclusion. Consequently, this gives me hope that the engagements taking place might be grounded in something deeper than the swings theory.
To many individuals, getting married is like Christmas. Things like Pinterest-planning have made the idea of a wedding — something special and reverent — into something potentially unfulfilling. Expectations go through the roof, and much like Christmas, you wake up the next day with nothing more than material satisfaction that will last a month at best.
Do weddings have to be like this? Of course not. Most couples would deny that this is the case, and they may be right. But when we have 13-year-old girls picking out rings and honeymoon accommodations on Pinterest, why shouldn’t they arrive at college thinking about nothing except getting married?
Three hypothetical swings later, these young people may end up with everything they ever wanted. Psychologically, it may feel perfect. I daresay girls and guys alike do not relish the thought of finding themselves alone after college. I admit, the idea can be daunting, and with the Harding community encouraging everyone to get an education and search for their soulmate at the same time, tying the knot ASAP often presents itself as the perfect solution.
But is this always love? Is this the kind of devotion that will go the distance? Planning a Pinterest wedding and a Pinterest honeymoon are nothing more than the material satisfaction scattered under the Christmas tree on Dec. 26.
Yes, I believe in true love. But to paraphrase a line from the Princess Bride (one of my favorite movies), true love does not happen everyday. Be willing to wait for the person who will love you long after the fun of planning a wedding is over. It may take 10, 17 or even 30 swings to find “the one” for you.
Congratulations to those who are recently engaged. To those who are not, but wish to be, keep your chin up. You’ve gotten this far. You can survive another 30 swing dates to find the one for you.
