Romance. What is it to you? What words or images does it conjure up in your mind? Do you think of candlelit dinners or that sentimental movie where an old man tells his story to his memory-depleted lover? Or maybe to you it is just the gentle brush of your partner's hand against yours.
All of those examples may very well be romantic, however I believe that they represent a large misinterpretation of the word romance. You see, romance to me can be so many things. It can be the glorifying of valor and honor in an propagated effort to recruit more able-bodied soldiers for war. It could also be the sepia toned photographs with curled edges one finds in the attic after a loved one has passed. Still, romance could even be the feeling inside brought on by the sound of big bands playing on an old wooden and brass phonograph, or perhaps a period piece that so accurately portrays a time that has past and enraptures its viewers.
You see, romance to me is sort of like coming home. It's what I imagine comfort food may be to some, or a warm slice of homemade apple pie with just one scoop of french vanilla ice cream. Romance to me is like a tall glass of nostalgia made just for me and just for this moment. I am not saying that those other manufactured moments of perceived intimacy cannot be romantic. What I am saying is that is that those are but a small sample of true romance.
Admittedly, not all romance is positive. As I mentioned above, sometimes romance is used as a method of propaganda. Marketers, advertisers, recruiters, politicians, and more know that we are motivated by deeply set emotions, especially fear and love. If these people can attach their messages to something that pulls at our heartstrings, they know that we are often more likely to accept or "buy" their message.
For this reason, I believe that critical thinking is a skill that is so important. I do not want to live in a world where nuance is is subjugated or coopted into a world of false dichotomies. The world is more than black and white. I will admit that much of romance is brought on in works of fiction and fantasy, and such romance is admirable when it is done right. However, even in such works of fiction it can help to recall that the story that we are absorbing through our eyes, ears, and other senses, is passing through a number of filters. There are the filters of the original storytellers, the membranes of those who may be retelling an old fable, the funnels of the artists using their skills to transport us into another dimension, and the lenses of our experiences through which we take it all in.
I guess all I'm saying is two things: First, romance done right is mesmerizing. It can transport us from a bland summer day on an open field to galaxy lightyears away. Secondly, be careful what you allow yourself to fully absorb into your being. Learn to think critically so that you do not allow others' unanalyzed thoughts to become your own.
And yes, I am aware of the irony (counterintuition?) of that final sentence, but how else could I say it?
