Isn't it Romantic

 

I found another one!

I have to begin with an exculpatory clause, "I Loathe Rom-Coms." I also want to state for the record, 'Loathe' is a nice word I have for them. I pitched ONE, single romantic comedy that was selfish, personal, and something that I would watch not caring if it was going to be liked by anyone else on the planet.

This movie is Brillant.

My Josh isn't nearly this cool. But also understand that this Josh is my ideal version of him. The one I would consider "perfect." I'm not expecting this reality, but for my head cannon...it is wonderful.

I love this movie. 

I am grateful for every person who worked on this movie. I'm humbled for the chance taken on it and the gift given during this 2025 holiday season. I'm grateful to Netflix for setting it up so I could get a good watch out of it. I'm also grateful and humbled to know that I am not alone. Perhaps someday, I'll also be wanted that same way I want and value myself.

I'm afraid of saying more here. I wonder if someday I could talk about all these movies. At the time I had nothing to offer except some time standing in line and a hatful of dreams. At least Wonka had a dozen sovereigns to start with. I'm afraid of having hope.

Hope, when held on for too long or too tightly, can become toxic and corrupt. From it, a person can form their own narrative and that builds expectations, even reasonable ones. During storms or darkness, Hope needs to be held loosely. Then, when the need is over, it must be released. Hope is medicine for passing moments. Faith and Trust are stronger anchors for stormy weather. It's a requirement for a Sunday Kind of Love. That is a difficult task when asked to trust and have faith in a perfect stranger. But since Stranger Things have happened, it's a little easier. But until the moment of Destiny arrives, there is still a possibility that the perfect stranger could simply not show up. There is always a choice. Until the moment comes and the choice is made, it could still fall apart. That is the danger of free will.

Natalie had a choice. She could have made the choice everyone expected her to make. She had that option until the words made her choice real. She also had the choice to revert back to her old ways and opt out by marrying Blake. Natalie learned her identity, value, purpose, and belonging and in doing so, her own healthy autonomy. That, to me, is the first steps to a real intimate, inter-dependent relationship.

I have brought this truth into the light. Upon exanimation of it, I have found a fear that I must confess and make real. The real Josh has none of these qualities. My fear is now that I have him, he isn't stepping into the role he must fill. I will be forced to leave him behind and walk into a new chapter of my life. I can't allow anyone to stop me from moving on, even myself. It's time to free myself from attachments and go forth to do better. It's being asked of me by the Divine. It's being asked of me by my stranger friends. It's being asked of me by my inner child and my own heart. I can't allow the 'possibility' to hold me back any longer.

Does that make the a$$*@^e? Am I disloyal? Am I a bad person?

No. I've already brought this uncomfortable thing to the table and slapped it down like a corpse for autopsy. Not just once but many times. I have given him the choice. It's my opinion that he will hold out and try as long as he can. He is gonna give it all he knows. But I believe (not by choice but by behavior) that he will not make the finish line. His fear and broken heart held him back. I'm completely open to being wrong here. But in a very real and necessary way, I'm being pragmatic too. The choice isn't with me. It's with him. And as long as he avoids discipline and self-improvement in all aspects of his life, he isn't going to get to the plane on time. I have to allow that to be. Failure must be calculated into the Grand Creation.

I would like to end this on a lesson I recently learned. Here it is:

God's design is perfect. God's creation is flawed.

This is true for God and for us. Our designs, the plans we make are perfect. But how they unfold before us is flawed on a spectrum. God can't be all knowing. That is a fact that the divine designed and created. The divine can plant an apple seed, knowing it will produce an apple tree. But what kind? How big? What color fruit? How will its branches form? God doesn't know the particulars. He doesn't want to know. That takes away all the fun of gardening! The divine can still be powerful without micromanaging the cosmos. The Divine is wise because it can account for and accept failure as an outcome. The Divine can also see the true, the good, and beautiful in failure. And work that failure into the design for a better outcome.  Which is why the Divine will give second chances. It's why the Divine can offer grace. Because the failure is wonderful too. Its all-knowing because the Divine knows that you'll keep trying. Someday, you will succeed. That's how we find Unity and become Divine ourselves. And if we can see it in ourselves, then you can see it in others.

If you want to view paradise, 

Simply look around and view it

Anything you want too, do it

Want to change the World?

There's nothing to it

There's no life I know

To compare with Pure Imagination

Living there you'll be free

If you truly wish to be

For all time, Always