Why I hate The Notebook

I used to love The Notebook. I watched it over and over with every break up and cried my eyes out, swearing that perhaps ____ and I would be like Noah and Allie. Maybe we WERE destined to be together, and it would just take a few years for us to make our way back to each other. It was comforting- it made me believe in love when it was much too hard to on my own. I even watched it while IN relationships. Swearing that mine and ___'s love was just as strong. (Sound familiar?)

Chris and I broke up after we dated for only a few months. I was heartbroken- watched all the appropriate movies, ate all the appropriate ice cream (gained all the appropriate pounds) I was devastated, but still held on to the hope that maybe we would get back together.


And then my Notebook dream came true. Nope. It was better. He even said all the right "movie" words as he begged for me back. (He he, sorry babe) We cried (ok- I cried) We embraced. We professed our love for each other, and swore to never be apart again. *Sidenote: In case you don't know- we've now been married for almost 4 months, so this was totally legit.

Only a few weeks after we got back together, I found myself home alone one night, and decided to indulge in a classic Sit Alone With a Box of Tissue Movie Night. (Be honest ladies- we all do it. Sometimes it includes a glass of wine. Sometimes a bowl of mint chocolate chip...) I changed into my pj's, threw up my hair in an 80's style pony tail (What? I like to look the part) Grab my junk food and my kleenex and I'm ready to go! I excitedly choose The Notebook- I was so sure I would enjoy it a little extra this time seeing as I practically lived it in real time.

Wrong. Disappointment. A tiny bit of disgust even.


Whoa Melissa- them's fightin' words.


Sorry ladies. Please hault your tomato throwing and let me explain.

See, as I was watching this I was *nearly* engaged myself (read: we were talking about marriage. We both knew it was going to happen, just a matter of time) So to see a woman treat her fiance that way? Disgusting! I know the story is all about Noah and Allie, I know- but Lan didn't do anything wrong.

Next - this picture of undying love makes me want to vomit just a little. I hate to be crude, but it's emotional porn, and frankly it's quite confusing to a young girl (or a woman) that doesn't understand love. Girls (I'm now speaking to you Merge girls!) this is NOT a picture of how love should be. A man should not be the center of your world, and should not have so much power over you that you give up your morals and your values because his gravity is pulling you in and you can't help yourself. It sounds romantic, I know, but it isn't. You can't expect another person to be your source of happiness: He can never "complete you" (Coming soon: My rant on how Jerry McGuire ruined romance for all women) or be your "other half" The only one that can be all those things to you is Jesus Christ.

A few disclaimers:

I am not an emotionless angry woman. I just happen to know that I would be nothing without God. All the desires that we are told by media that can be fulfilled by a man can only be fulfilled by God. I love romance. REAL romance. And to me, real romance does not begin with a woman cheating on her fiance.