Several things in my life lately have lead me to question the mythical concept of happily ever after.
During a conversation I about our cultures obession with the begins of relationships I realized quite to my shock that I had no clue what happily ever after really meant. And I had a lot of reasons to think about that idea lately.
The first most obivous one is that Dave and I ended. I thought I may have found the story that ended with that mythical fragment instead of the usual it ended they talked, realized it wasn't working, and became good friends as the years progressed.
The second is I'm watching the implosion of two my friends relationship. One is madly in love and the other isn't ready or looking for anything that serious. One of my friends though she had found her happily ever as well.
But what is happily ever after?? Is it getting married?? Because if it is I know way too many marriages where that is not the fact. Is it finding that dream job that you've always wanted?? How many people are working there dream jobs while feeling hollow and empty? Is it truly knowing yourself no matter how painful??
Is happily ever after like the song at the start of the 2nd Act of Into the Woods where every one is bored out of their minds?? Because if it is then I don't want it. The two things I fear the most is to be boring and to be medicore.
Is that why so many stories and movies end when the relationship starts or pick up when it is all going to shit?? Is that why so many of us are at loss once a relationship exits the begining stages??
These questions plague me because I lack my own definition of this idea and the ones I've been presented with are just too damn vague.
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Glad to see by your post you got home safely. I agree culture makes us want to pursue getting into a relationship and doesn't give us a lot of training on relationship maintence. There aren't a lot of movies or stories in our culture about how to keep a relationship going. ALl the romantic comedies end with the happy couple getting together. I look back on the important movies I know and think the best relationship advice is Don't get married if you're in love with someone else. Maybe don't kiss anyone until you find out if she's your twin sister separated at birth and raised as royalty on another planent.
I love Into the Woods though. I love that Happyily Ever After is boring to the characters and looking at how that story actually ends makes me think Happily ever after is knowing what you want and wanting what you've got.
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