Reel vs. Real

I went to see that movie The Holiday with a friend the other night and I was forced to self-evaluate. One of the characters in the movie found her self "in-love" with a guy for three years with out him ever returning the sentiment. He definitely led her on, but he never actually told her he loved her. She read WAY too much into everything he did, and always spun it her way.

Why do we do this? I constantly find myself over-analyzing a situation or encounter. I have this whole plot going on in my head that has little basis in reality. In the back of my head I realize it is fantasy, so when something actually does happen in my romantic life I doubt its validity. Why do we try to fit our lives into some fairytale or movie we've seen, and then when our life crafts itself that way without our help, we don't trust it? Or in my case, I don't trust HIM. I love that new stage in a relationship (and I use that word loosely) when flirting is fun and the anticipation is so much more intense than the real relationship ever becomes (if it becomes anything – a lot of times flirting for flirting's sake can be great).

I also love the safe time. The time when you know each other so well that a conversation can be had in a look. However, in my world, it's the transition that is crap. How do you all do it? How do you get from the happy, giddy, flirting to the relationship without it falling apart? I've only ever had one serious romantic relationship that was ever in that comfortable stage (and we all know how that turned out). And I think the only way I got there is because I never had the first part. He didn't make my stomach flip. He was always comfortable. I've also had plenty of stomach-flipping flirtatious starts, but none of them have ever made the transition.

If you have actually read this far, WOW.... I know I am rambling, but this helps me think through things, so you can stop reading at anytime! If you are still reading however, and you have made the transition successfully, please, tell me how. I am honestly VERY interested. How do you make your life go from reel to real?