Sitting in my Spanish literature class, I fall in love. I fall in love with Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer- I fall in love with his words, his ideas, his message.
For a glance: the world;
For a smile: the heavens;
For a kiss I don’t know
What I would give for a kiss!
Where are the Bécquers of today?
Why are my friends surprised when someone comes and asks them out on a proper date and not just to “Netflix and chill”? Why is opening a door for someone no longer a thing? Why has dancing with someone turned into automatically meaning you’re going home with them?
I was raised on the cheesiest of movies and I may or may not have had a crush on Mr. Darcy since about forever… So yes, it’s normal that I believe in being a hopeless romantic- but I also believe that the level of romance in our generation has slowly been dwindling down.
With that point, here are five ways to spread a little romance in your everyday lives…
1) Bring back the idea of a real date.
They offer to meet up at a bar or a frat party? You say- sorry, I can’t!
Meet up at a cute coffee shop (make it casual: “Let’s study together!”) or go on a hike (make it casual: “I really need to workout/It’s too much of a beautiful day to stay inside!”) And if they don’t bite? Move on, you know you deserve better.
2) Share music.
Music is a great way to strengthen bonds, it doesn’t have to be a cheesy love ballad- it’s just nice to show that you’re thinking of them and that you want to share this really-amazing new song by ______. Sharing a funny YouTube video, a news article, etc.- little ways to show that you’re thinking of them. And if they’re smart: they’ll send you stuff too!
3) Texting and calling.
That’s right: I used the “c” word. Calling is so rare now a days, but why not do it? Check in with them! If you haven’t talked in a while and want to catch up- it’s a nice way to reach out. If calling is too much (you haven’t reached that point in the relationship yet, etc.) then at least make sure that your texts are actually meaningful. Don’t “lol” them or just send a message for nothing- a worthwhile text goes a long way and shows the other person you’re interested in a little more effort.
4) Invest.
If you don’t dedicate the time to show that you’re interested in more than just hooking up then how the hell is the other person supposed to know that you want real romance? Make sure you show you’re truly interested in getting to know said other person. You don’t really care about football but you know that he’s a huge fan of the ______? Ask about the ______ once in a while. It’ll show that what he’s into, interests you too (or at least you’re trying).
5) Realize.
Ah, this one is a scary one. It takes time to realize that you do actually deserve a prince charming- because you do, you so do- he’s out there and he’s waiting for you to figure it out. If you just realize that you deserve someone who takes an interest in what you love, who buys you flowers just cause, who wants to meet your family, etc. well, you’re on your first step to true love.
These guys do exist (s/o to all the amazing gentlemen out there) and it might take some time but romance still has a chance to survive- do your part to keep it going.
P.S. Please imagine what the Bécquer poem (see above) sounds like in the original Spanish. Talk about swooning…
P.P.S To understand super cheesy ending to this article, please see above adoration of Mr. Darcy.