"What sort of application are you filling out?", I cautiously asked. "Well...you see, the new "Bachelorette" is a dental student and I thought with Ryan being in dental school... and single... and such a great catch, we could put an application in, in his name." Hmmm...I thought for just about a nano second before saying, "Yeah...I think that's a pretty good idea!
Now, let me explain...You see, our family is what we call a "clan", a "tribe", a "group". We may not be Italian, but that is what our family is like...A BIG FAT LOUD MOTLEY CREW! We don't hold much back with each other and chaos abounds where this bunch is concerned. SO, what with two of the boys already being married, Ryan recently told me, "Mom, I've decided to just let you go ahead and pick my wife out for me because we all know that when YOU'RE happy, we're ALL happy." SWEET! I liked this idea.
So...Caitlin watches those crazy shows, "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" but I never really have and she called to say that the "Bachelorette" this year was going to be a girl who had just finished dental school. "PERFECT!", I thought. Caitlin filled the entire application out online and then just had to find a cute picture of Ryan. THEN, she got a little worried. She called me to say that she thought Ryan "might" be sort of upset if we just entered him in the mix without consulting him first. She said we should call and tell him what we were planning. Hmmm..."Technically, he DID tell me to go ahead and find him a wife...", I said. Yea, but she was getting cold feet and I knew what this meant...he would NEVER go for this little plan we had cooked up!
I was right; he was having NO part of being on "The Bachelorette". However, when the new season began, Caitlin insisted that I sit down and watch an episode with her. NOW I KNOW why he did not want to participate in such a thing! It's not just the fact that this girl is dating all these guys at one time, but those guys are all living together and competing with each other (and they know it!) openly to "get the date", "have the most romantic date", "impress the girl" the most. So, I sat and watch a little more...
As I watched, I had to ask myself, "Was THIS what the dating world had come to?" All that awkwardness of first meetings and dating that I remembered was now being smeared across television. Although it was considered "Reality T.V.", how REAL could it possibly be and what sort of REAL relationship could result from such a courtship? First, one needs to take into account that there are camera men everywhere, which makes me wonder how many of the situations on the show have been scripted? Are there retakes of scenes? Also, perhaps I am just a little old fashioned in my thinking (did I just say that??...), but they give kisses out like candy and are all "touchy-feely" right off the bat. Now, THAT is more than just a little awkward where I'm concerned...it's downright WEIRD! I cannot even IMAGINE looking for my husband in such a manner. And people wonder WHY most of those relationship don't last?!
So, although, at first, an "arranged" marriage of sorts sounds pretty good to a mother, I must admit that dating, in my opinion, is better done on a private level; between just two people. It is essential that the couple get to know one another without all the flash of lights and publicity...and for longer than just the season that the television series lasts. Yes, I am most likely more anxious for Ryan to find his life mate than he is. He IS only 24 years old and still in a professional school...HOWEVER, girls, he IS one cute, GREAT catch! (Sorry...I just couldn't resist !)
Ryan...Our Family's "Most Eligible Bachelor"!
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