Saturday

Dearest Darcy...
Women in your world of Pride and Predjudice were allowed scant contact with the opposite sex: but only within the bounds of the prudish standards and overly cautious restrictions commanded by society. The lady Elizabeth would never consider being alone with a man without an escort. Elizabeth would be extremely imprudent to kiss you in public, or at all, before marriage. And Elizabeth could never touch you in any capacity without implications on herself and your own reputation. Yet, despite all of the restrictions and the red-ribbon standing in your way, you managed to find each other amid a sweeping love story to eventually earn the love and respect of each other; and learn that your other half could touch, and be touched.

But Mr. Darcy, your story of love seems to be the exception. Which makes the fact that you and Lizzie only exist in fiction an even more sobering truth: real love is not contained in the pen of Jane Austen. Love is not printed from the computer of Nicolas Sparks. Love does not consist of perfect grammar and happenstance meetings that take your breath away. How could Lizzie and Mr. Darcy exist in a world of 90210 Gossip Girls that never look before they leap into another's pants? Were the restrictions placed on the Darcys' relationship the key to finding a lasting and meaningful relationship? Do restrictions make it more important to earn the love of another, as opposed to giving it away?

Dearest Darcy, is it foolish to think that you should only jump into the sack after you have a relationship in the bag?

Truth be told: I am a prude. Really. While this term comes fondly from an ex-boyfriend who lacked any understanding of why I would not want to be drunk at 11a.m. on a Tuesday; and considering his obvious void for wisdom on such matters of self-control, I try to restrict myself from ever putting too much stock into these words. But I am a prude. And proud to be. I have often wished that I could live in the world of Elizabeth Bennett, with all the societal restrictions placed upon dating. There were boundaries between men and women that needed to be overcome using inner-strength, self-control, and hard work.

Nowadays these boundaries have long past disappeared with nothing to stand in their place. Sex on the first date, teenage pregnancies, one-night-stands, random hook-ups at random parties, designated drunk make-out buddies, relationships as a sole source for validation, sex as a sole source for validation. And, unfortunately, this list could continue to take up pages and pages. How can you possibly work for a relationship, and earn the love and respect of another, when so little value is placed on the effort that longstanding love takes? What is more alarming is that women are placing less and less value on themselves and putting less and less effort into keeping their zippers up and their legs closed. The more and more modern way to earn love is to give away sex, and hope for love in return. Elizabeth Bennett didn't see this as an option, and neither do I.

Dearest Darcy, how can we expect to find actual relationships in this world, when it seems like society is suggesting that we only search for it between the sheets?