It's a Romanic Life

Romantic - adjective:

... 2. fanciful; impractical; unrealistic: romantic ideas.

3. imbued with or dominated by idealism, a desire for adventure, chivalry, etc.

7. ( usually initial capital letter ) of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a style of literature and art that subordinates form to content, encourages freedom of treatment, emphasizes imagination, emotion, and introspection, and often celebrates nature, the ordinary person, and freedom of the spirit ( contrasted with classical)...

I use the word "romantic" the same way Anne Shirley did - to mean adventurous and old fashioned and quaint and full of frilly, pretty clothes - and often I long for a romantic life - just as she did.

The world today just seems so boring at times. Our fashions - though I do love them - are not nearly so frilly, and elegant and romantic as in Wives and Daughters, or Anne of Green Gables, and neither are most shops. Our parties are not so elegant and romantic, and balls are much less frequent. It is all terribly sad, in my eyes.

But while watching Wives and Daughters the other night a thought accrued to me. That wasn't romantic the the people living then - to them it was normal, and the times before then had been romantic. They weren't trying to dress old fashioned and romantic - they were dressing in the modern styles. We only think it's romantic now because things have come so far - just like in a hundred years people will think our time was romantic. How romantic our lives are depend solely on how we look at them.

And our lives can be very romantic if we only think about it in the right way. With the styles now we can still get dressed up in lacy, elegant things, and if there is a shortage of romantic fields, flowers and trees in your neighborhood, there must be a forest preserve within a few minute drive to satisfy one's longing for the country.

With a little digging I'm sure some small, cute, independently owned shops can be found, and if not, Etsy can serve as a modern version. As for parties, well why not meet at the local Starbucks for your own, modern spin on the romantic tea party - complete with your tall, carmel frappuccino!

And, when you get really longing for something romantic, a bit of poetry should do the trick - perhaps you could try The Lady of Shalott.

I believe we all can lead very romantic, quaint, elegant lives if only we are able to see it.

Sources:

Anne of Green Gables Screen Caps

Wives and Daughters Screen Caps