I was watching Friends tonight and they were showing the episode where Rachel was leaving for Paris. Ross is undecided about whether he should tell her he loves her one more time and go after her or let her be. It's the ultimate dilemma. Do you ruin someone elses decision for your own selfish need to express how you feel? Or do you keep your feelings to yourself when they can change another person's opinon? Or is it that you owe it to the person to lay all the cards on the table so that they can make their own decision?
It's a difficult choice. Yes, I'd love for some guy to go chasing after me, to hunt me down in the airport, go through all that security, and time it perfectly so he calls my name as I've handed my boarding pass to the agent. Then through my peripheral vision I see a shadow which causes me to turn left and my jaw drops, saying "what are you doing here?" Yes, I'd love that feeling that they are so undeniably in love with you that they risked the world to make it here on time to tell you just that.
And that is probably one of the greatest feelings in the world, but then it's followed by the worst feelings in the world - this rushed window to make your decision. This pressure to make the decision that this guy came all the way over here to hear, always wondering in the back of your head if you are deciding what you want to do based on external expectations, given the gesture. Then there's the slight annoyance I would feel that, really? you didn't know this yesterday? That would have made life so much easier.
So in essence, do we really want that? Do we want the big grand gesture of the person running for all causes to get to you in time. I loved the scene in Save the Last Dance when he is running to make her show in time. I love scenes when the guys running through the rain (and manages not to slip). But truth be told, it's a whole lotta pressure and I can't say that I would want that. I don't know what I'd be able to say to some guy on their knee saying "Please don't go."
It's great for tv - a great tear-jerker, but really? Yeah, I'd have to say that it's just too hard.
You gotta love sitcom writers . . .
