The Simple Life

I had an interesting conversation with a co-worker today about “An Affair to Remember.” It all began when I said I couldn’t do something and she busted out with, “Darling, if you can paint, I can walk.” It took me a second and then Cary Grant was in my mind. I shared with her that I loved the movie, but got slightly perturbed when I watched it because I want to be like, “Lady, just tell him you got hit by a car and that’s why you didn’t meet him that day.” If people can say their alarm clock didn’t go off, their homework fell in the fish tank (heard that one this week), and a number of other silly reasons to not keep their commitments, surely getting hit by a car would be an acceptable excuse to make up a date. But alas, it would remove an element of drama and suspense from one of the most beloved classics of all time.

It got me thinking: We love movies and we sometimes say, “I wish life was like a movie.” But do we really? Do we really want to watch the love of our life walk by while we idly sit by in a chair just to add a dramatic ending? I dare say that if scenarios or sayings that occurred in movies happened to us in real life we would be considerably taken aback.

For instance, when I watched “The Wedding Planner” like a million times I always thought it was so witty that Matthew McConaughey’s character threw out all the M&Ms except for the brown ones with the clever line, “I figure there’s less artificial food coloring because chocolate is already brown.” If Justin did that, I would immediately reclaim the missing candy (5 second rule counts on grass too!) and scold him for first, being weird. And second, getting rid of perfectly good chocolate, coloring or not.

And when we watch “The Notebook,” we just can’t get over Noah’s bravery as he climbs on top of the Ferris wheel and hangs off until Allie agrees to go on a date with him. Say I’m at the fair. And Justin decided to do that. First of all, I would scream bloody murder because I can’t stand it if my seat swings. Whoever is with me has to sit like a cement gargoyle or I will go bonkers. My first inclination at this point would be that this guy is either suicidal or a few fries short of a Happy Meal, not the most romantic guy on Earth.

Even one of my favorites, “When Harry Met Sally,” is not immune to the real-life magnifying glass. If Justin and I are at a restaurant and I decide to put on a theatrical performance of a "wonderful experience," he is not going to let me finish and then smile sweetly at me. He’s going to high-tail it out of that restaurant and act like he doesn’t know who I am. It may also be a while before I get chips and queso at Chili’s again.

So sometimes I feel boring. Since Sunday, for example, I have been looking forward to cheese dip and a meal at El Acapulco. We went tonight and you would have thought I was at Disney World. Like that's the highlight of my week. And when people ask me if I want to do something, I always secretly long to watch "Mad Men" on Netflix with Justin and go to bed at 10 p.m. But you know what? That's OK with me. Some people want their life to resemble a movie-- I'd rather watch a movie.  And when I hear their cheesy lines and see how they woo their love interest, I may go "Awww," but it is quickly followed with a deep contentment in the simple life.

I've got to sign off now. "Mad Men" is about to come on. ;)