Joseph Jarrett

Romantic comedies have always been my favorite kind of movie. Well, always being since I was fourteen and started comprehending the deeper meanings behind movies. I think the reason I love them so much is that I am an eternal optimist and hopeless romantic. It is entirely fitting that an optimistic hopeless romantic adores rom-coms. I also have absolutely no trust in people who think they are stupid. Those aren’t my people.

            As you know by now, I am the chronically single friend. The one who cannot keep a man for shit but also serves as the person everyone goes to for romantic advice. I have always been that person. Some characters I like to compare myself to are Amy March from Little Women (specifically Florence Pugh’s variation), Kip Grady from Heated Rivalry, Glinda from Wicked (more so the Wicked: For Good level), and Prince Henry from Red, White, and Royal Blue. Each character just wants to be loved, truly loved, but feels held back by some force of nature or societal pressures.

            Despite everything I have been through in the realm of sex and love, I have never given up on the idea that there is someone out there who was built specifically for me. People might think I am crazy for this. Let them think that. It does not matter how many frogs come my way. I will kiss every single one until I find my Prince Charming. These frogs are all steppingstones in the path towards that one great love. The kind of love that everyone dreams about.

            I thought that I’d found the right guy for me a few times. I was wrong about each one. And I am not mad at myself for that anymore. I used to be so immature when it came to love, and I thought that I needed to be perfect for the man I was interested in. Any of them could be the one if I did everything right. I was so wrong about that. Looking back, I am so grateful that I didn’t end up with any of them. It wouldn’t have led to anywhere good. It’s been a couple of years since I dated, and I have enjoyed this time being single. I grew a lot. I learned a lot about myself. I prioritized my own wants and needs over those of a man.

            Sure, I have had my fair share of tears over a man who shattered my heart. That’s bound to happen to everyone. That’s life. But I wouldn’t have made a lot of imperative decisions in my life had I not experienced that. So instead of it destroying my outlook on love, it built it up and heightened it. Everything became more magical when I learned to love myself after heartbreak.            

Nowadays, I do not aim for Prince Charming. Instead, I dream about someone who truly sees me. Not a handsome stranger I met briefly and decided to spend forever with. I do not believe there’s some kind of character trope that will lead me to my forever person. It’s not enemies-to-lovers or a slow burn. It’s just whatever the hell happens in life. That’s the beauty of love. It exists in every facet of our lives, and it never really goes away. Life can feel like a rom-com every day if you have the right mindset. When you stop taking life and love so seriously, everything gets so much brighter.