All's Fair in Love and Water

Sitting at the lunch table my freshman year of high school, my bests friends began to point out the fact that I was a hopeless romantic. My spirits were absolutely crushed; who wants to be considered hopeless? After doing a little more research, I realized this title unfortunately fits me perfectly. “Believes in fairytales”- check. “Constantly looking for that one person who will complete my needs”- check. “Would rather give than receive”- check. “In love with… love”- CHECK. The common definitions of hopeless romantic hit me to a T back then, just as they do now. I also came to the conclusion that “hopeless romantic” is centered on the word hope. For it is this great hope in love that keeps us “hopeless romantics” going, but I suppose the pessimistic outsiders feel our long lists of a “perfect relationship” as hopeless.

Before this course, I had yet to realize the huge connection between water and romance. I, like many other people as Fishman points out, would often take water for granted. Seeing the picture of the water gardens, instantly made me think of my parents and their great love. Although I have never been to the water gardens, I have heard the stories time and time again. One could say the water gardens are a staple location to where my family began. This is where my father professed his love to my mother for the first time, and then proposed to her a year later.  As usual, my mind began to wonder onto the idea of love, its importance, and where it will eventually take me. This time it was a little different; I began to think of how important water is in the greatest loves stories and love today.

Beginning with the fiction pieces, I soon realized that water is present everywhere. One of the greatest love stories of all time, the Titantic, is told completely surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. Without this large body of water and the glacier (frozen water), this love story would be nonexistent. So many women dream of “the titanic scene”, of Rose being held by Jack leaning over the gorgeous ocean. In this picture, water is just a background, but its beauty enhances the romance of the scene. Another famous water scene takes place in none other than the Notebook. Noah takes Allie to see the swans in a small boat. The water sets the scene as tall trees and swans envelope them. A few minutes later, a storm comes in rinsing the two with water. It is because of their soaking wet bodies that their passion for each other is reborn. Water is even present in childhood loves stories such as The Little Mermaid and the nursery rhyme that begins “Jack and Jill went up a hill to fetch a pail of water”. And in modern music, like Taylor Swift’s lyric “kiss me in the pouring rain” or Josh Abbot’s song “Hot Water”. In both of these cases, water is utilized to enhance the romance.

Just as music in a movie adds to a scene’s mood, water does the same in so many dreamy experiences. Think of all of the proposals, weddings and even hook-ups that occur on sandy beaches, the location where water meets land. The fact that beaches are romantic is undeniable. Maybe it is because of the beautiful landscape that they will always ease the mood, maybe its their common affiliation with vacationing that causes tourists to desire a lover or possibly the skimpy attire usually worn at a beach! Showers and baths are no exception to the presence of water enriching a passionate situation. And one cannot forget one of the oldest scenes in the book- fogging the windows of a back seat of a car. What is this fog made of? Water.

This semester, I think I will be learning more and more about the presence of water in my every day life. It seems to exist everywhere from my shower, to my classes and even my love life. Who knows the exact reason for human nature to think of water so romantically? My explanations are endless including the calm ripples of the water, the beautiful reflection it creates, or the hot, humidity of water in the air that just causes people to desire one another.