Back in sixth grade (flashback to season one circa 1993, crimped hair and all), Cory Matthews—at about 5 feet tall and evidently the most mature 12-year-old—told Eric adamantly, “Oh yeah, that’s what I want; to be Topanga’s boyfriend. Then we could name our children Chewbacca and Plankton,” only days later to be pinned up against the hallway wall in a quintessential Disney romance scene. Okay, so maybe not quintessential in the perfected romance of that of Allie and Noah. But, a scene like this, rather an introduction to what was to come, was enough to make our childhood hearts melt. It was fate, or what we told ourselves was perfection, despite Cory’s electrified hair at the moment, and I won’t even begin to comment on Topanga’s wardrobe choices (moreover her name). But that didn’t matter; as with any other sitcom, the love interests were together and that’s all that seemed to matter for that 8:00-8:30 slot before you ventured to bed eagerly awaiting next week’s drama that only 12-year-olds could unravel…especially when Eric’s in play.
So, who doesn’t love the ultimate TV couple that is Cory and Topanga? These two fulfilled all of our wildest yet budding adolescent fantasies of what a relationship could develop into. These two took the ’90s by storm from their first days with Mr. Feeny learning about love (well played Disney) to their last goodbyes as New York shined brightly in the future. It’s easy to sit here in 2013 and idolize the two for surviving since that first kiss in the sandbox. But let’s take note…these two have had their ups and downs and not even Disney can blur the lessons they’ve taught us. So let’s sit back, put on those jelly sandals and plug in your hair crimper because we’re about to go back to take a love lesson from Cory and Topanga.
You can find your soul mate even in the socially tumultuous hallways of middle school.
In the world of the John Adams Middle School cafeteria, we learn that not only does the classic predicament of mystery meat lurk the corner but also so does love dressed in a Janis Joplin inspired ensemble straight from the local Goodwill. Immaturity is contagious, but mostly comes in the form of a water gun, and love goes beyond the social boundaries constructed by lunch tables. We learn right away, Sean and Cory can use a third musketeer and what better than a true soul-mater? Welcome Topanga, that seat is all yours…forever.
You can date your best friend.
First and foremost, Topanga and Cory were friends. I’m sure you’ve heard “rule number one: never date your best friend.” Well shut down by C and T, showing us that love can grow from a foundation of friendship and flourish due to it. Ultimately, their relationship grew on the grounds of jokes passed back and forth in class (note the perfect seating arrangement: Topanga then Cory then Shawn) to purity in a play date: actually hanging out one on one with some sister Morgan in there for good measure. These two showed us that friendship could be well, as Zac Efron once put it, “the start of something new.”
Time off and time on is natural and second chances are welcomed.
It’s easy to sit here 13 years since the finale and think Cory and Topanga were always together. Yes, they withstood the long haul but they did it with their fair share of up’s and down’s. Let’s take a moment to flashback to season three: break up one simply due to a relationship rut only to be reconciled by Cory’s pilgrimage to Disney World to win her back. Then came break up two of the fourth season, when Lauren the chick on the ski trip came into play, overtly eager to help with his “injury;” but hey, the two get back together for prom. Then comes season seven when Topanga freaks out on the prospects of marriage (understandably so) after her own parent’s divorce. The relationship is saved, as per Disney, with a motherly intervention. Cory and Topanga teach us that people mess up—not that we will ever accept that slut, Lauren—and up’s and down’s are acceptable. Sometimes seeing what else is out there is the only way to truly solidify the relationship. No matter each scenario, the two get back together, instilling our faith in love and supporting the notion of time on and off. Maybe they found each other in the prospects of teenage daydreaming, but that doesn’t mean it was perfect from day one.
There are of course a multitude of relationship notes we could jot down—from marriage at a young age to the functionality of long distance relationships—after watching the seven seasons of pure exuberance that is Boy Meets World but these three are sweepingly appropriate. And yes, maybe Cory and Topanga have grown out of their respective Phillies hat and environmentally conscious brown paper lunches, but their love will never go out of style. In their Disney-developed romance, we are able to take a few lessons that can still apply today. So, take a jump back into that sandbox and find yourself your soul mate…
…And if not, there’s always the opportunity to be “the good looking guy…”