The Heart Beat: In Search Of Mr. (or Mrs.) Darcy
Bridget Jones met her Mark at a Christmas party. Wearing that hideous “jumper” and all. She was a hot mess, yet he and she found themselves intrigued/compelled and, well… the rest is fictional history. Is this a universal love fantasy? That you’ll meet your one true love over a turkey carcass or passing a platter of latkes?
The holiday-themed romantic comedy is an American staple. From “White Christmas to “Love Actually,” and “Bridget Jones” of course, not to mention “A Boyfriend for Christmas.” In real life, what are the odds? Don’t most of us spend the holidays with our annoying Uncle Sal, our beloved cousin Sarah and her on-again-off-again boyfriend Enrique and our other well-meaning but privacy-invading relatives and friends (the last group most certainly devoid of anyone we’d want to date – at least not now, if perhaps once upon a time we actually did.)
And yet, this expectation is “out there.” I know this because I’m in the romance business. Thanks to this common holiday movie ploy/plot, I can tell you there are a bunch of singletons who are thinking – right this very moment – that their next certain someone is just around the corner at an upcoming holiday bash – just in time for a potential New Year’s date!
If I’ve just outed you… it’s okay. While I love this idea as much as the next gal, I have to say it just doesn’t usually happen. And while it seems like an innocent enough little fantasy… like the one with a big fat bearded guy in a fuzzy red suit who bosses around a bunch of toy-building elves and visits the entire world in one night to stuff himself down every chimney to reward every good child with the end-products of said elves, well… this one has a dark side too.
Just like the anxious kid without a chimney, or all the children whose parents suck at being Santa or simply can’t afford to comply with the fantasy, it’s hard not to feel let down when your version doesn’t come with Bridget’s happy ending. Folks who harbor this holiday hologram in their noggins (not to be confused with nog – another holiday staple), get a little woebegone when there’s nothing in their love life “stocking” but a lump of coal. Or worse, the dread of celebrating New Year’s solo causes them to hook up/stay with a big turkey through the holidays so they’ve got a safe date for New Year’s Eve. That’s the part I don’t like.
That said, the holidays tend to be filled with fun, festive opportunities to get out and mingle… and you never know. So I say “do it,” just not with so much unreasonable expectation that you set yourself up for disappointment if there’s no new sexy package under your tree. Better yet, hedge your bets by signing up with a Matchmaker in December… so you’re guaranteed a date with a non-turkey by January.
Listen to your heart,
Michele
