I am not a huge fan of romance novels or movies, especially Romcoms or anything by Nicholas Sparks. I am not bashing anyone who likes these types of movies, because everyone’s different. While someone else might like “The Notebook,” I would much rather watch a romantic drama like “Pride and Prejudice” or a quirky romantic flick like “Edward Scissorhands.” Although my stomach churns at modern day love films, recently I have found myself drawn to those of the ‘90s. I never thought I would fall for the sugarcoated stories, but something about romance movies of the ‘90s makes them tolerable to watch.

Perhaps it’s the genuineness injected into the films, or it could also be the ‘90s heartthrobs that make them enjoyable, like Christian Slater, Ethan Hawke and Robert Downey Jr.
Knowing me, it’s probably more of the latter, but it could also be that as a senior, real life is creeping ever closer to swallowing me up, and to dilute that overwhelming fact, my mind wants good, unrealistic scenarios. Also maybe it is the “vintage” if you categorize the ‘90s as vintage, charm that seeps from the screen, a simpler time when computers were clunky blocks of plastic and landlines with the curly cords were still a thing.

This last weekend I watched “Untamed Heart,” a 1993 film focusing on a shy busboy’s crush on a cute, heartbroken waitress, starring Christian Slater and Marisa Tomei. While watching, I picked up on a very important message. While it is pretty easy to get lost in Slater’s heartwarming performance as the awkward hero, what is more important is his character’s purpose—a beacon of hope for a generation just as confused with life as the last.

Life is fleeting, and if you are a previous reader of my articles, I am all about living life to the utmost. Love comes and goes, and the experience is different for all of us lucky human beings. As the old saying goes “tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”

It is perfectly normal to be scared and/or nervous. I am no love expert, believe me, but if I could give any sliver of advice to you, dear reader, it would be to never give up. Don’t fret if you don’t make sense. Find that one that doesn’t make sense either, so when you are together it all finally makes sense. Be who you are, and if they do not see, make them see.
I hope this does not come of as a clichéd empowerment piece because I want it to be as genuine as possible. So, I guess what I am trying to get across here is that we are not meant to understand everything, especially love.

Romance movies can sometimes be far-fetched, with the endings being neatly tied up in perfect bows (like they are most of the time). But I never thought I would say this. Something can be learned from them. Sometimes all you need are magic records and a baboon heart.