Romance is Dead

A friend of mine told me a rather interesting story. His best friend, a very successful and intelligent man, has just told him that he's now engaged. What's interesting about this piece of news is that his friend had just met his now-fiancee over the last weekend. JUST this past weekend. So, they met, fell in love, and decided to spend the rest of their lives together within double-digit hours. If I got the story right, they met at a bar where the woman works as a waitress. So, in spite of their disparate backgrounds, and the brevity of their acquaintance, they have decided to tie the knot.

Now, I know a lot of romantics out there will ooh and ahh over how love at first sight is once again proven to exist, and how love really conquers all. And what do I say to these developments? "Bah, humbug!" I can't even begin to imagine how someone sane could do something like that. Maybe I am too cynical (I actually prefer to call myself a "realist") to see how thrilling whirlwind romances can be. All I could think of is, "another divorce statistic waiting to happen".

Is there something wrong with my way of thinking? I honestly don't think so. Love is such a difficult thing to deal with. I believe that using your head along with your heart (or other parts of your anatomy) is simply the best way to go. Relying on your smarts obviously does not automatically ensure the success of your relationship. I just think that the odds are already naturally stacked against relationships working, because the chances that two people will mate (happily) for life are very slim to begin with. Thinking your way through it, I believe, just increases the probability that things will work out.