Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Not Again!!!

I see that the topic of “the one” has once again reared its ugly head. I understand why it can be so appealing. From when we’re little kids everything and everyone tells us that the one is out there waiting for us. It hides in children’s stories where it is a reoccurring theme. Cinderella is “the one” for the prince; he must find her because she is his one. Snow White and Sleeping Beauty have to wait for “the one” (ei. Prince Charming) to come and awaken them in order for life to start.

As we grow older popular music reinforces that “the one” you must be with is out there. As All 4 One says, “They read you Cinderella, you hoped it would come true and one day your Prince Charming would come rescue you.” There’s Daniel Beddingfield’s “If Your Not The One For Me” and a million other songs that you’re “the one”. Or they tell us I thought you were the one but for whatever reason you’re not and imply that “the one” is still out there somewhere, waiting to be found.

To take it even further all areas of the media are buying into “the one” fallacy. T.V. shows, movies, books all are there to either help us find “the one” or to show every ying has its yang. The Bachelor, Friends, The Simpson’s, Only You, The Notebook, The Wedding Dress, any harlequin novel; basically it’s everywhere. We now get it in coming into our email forwards. If were all good girls or boys eventually the one will find us and we’ll live in our perfect world together, of course, happily ever after (my very unscientific study has determined that happily ever after now lasts approximately 3.56 years). It would be nice if there was some magical way to disabuse people of “the one” fallacy, unfortunately, my fairy godmother, Melinda is on a leave of absences (I think she’s looking for her “One” and the Easter Bunny)

3 comments:

Marieseda said...

Okay, so someone decided to privately call me on being a hypocrite about “the one” issue. Their reasoning being that at times I've said that Princess Bride is my favourite movie. I've also said that Labyrinth and 10th Kingdom were my favourite movies, but you don't see me believing in goblins and fairy tales. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy the movies or the songs about “the one”, I’m just saying try not to use “the one” as an excuse to close yourself off from other opportunities. If people are thinking they found "the one" and lost them or that "the one" is out there searching for them they could be missing out on the chance to meet some really incredible people.

Sj said...

People find hypocrasy everywhere.. especially if they think you are talking about them.

jk

Clap clap on this post Tina. It's a hard thing to illucidate but I get you. Kristy and I had many talks about people playing "the game" and that is def. a huge part of the search for THE ONE

kristin said...

Melinda is your fairy godmother too??? no wonder she always answers my pages so slowly.

the problem with 'the one' is that it reduces life to being About finding (or being found) and everything else we do just fits into that framework.

put The Princess Bride, and the 10th Kingdom are some of my favourite movies too... I don't know who's giving you a hard time but I'll punch em out.