Dear Readers,
For many of you readers, you already know that for some time I have had a rather irrational distaste for Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice. Oh my how it infuriated me to see that there was something like this that simply engulfed so many young women in the idea of romance like this. How anyone could possibly want to have such a relationship was beyond me, and I felt rather justified in my opinion.
That is, until last week.
While strolling around Tumblr I found a post by Hank Green announcing that the Lizzie Bennet Diaries were going to receive an Emmy. Well, I had to check it out of course. I remember seeing a friend watch it and distinctly thinking "what--ANOTHER RENDITION OF THAT STORY?! NOT AGAIN!"
Well, to all of the ladies in my life, I have to admit that I was prideful, and prejudiced. I watched all of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries. In like two days. I had only ever watched the Mormon (also known as the pink) Pride and Prejudice. I always fell asleep when I watched the other ones and I judged them by what I saw.
What I saw was a prideful girl and a prideful boy that couldn't just spit out how they felt. I saw the hardships, I saw the trials, I saw the sadness of betrayal, I saw the darker part of our nature. I judged it and was critical of it. I even sort of judged the people that liked it. Not in a sort of permanent fashion, or in any way thought less of them--I just felt like I was constantly being compared to Mr. Darcy, and I didn't feel like I measured up.
So--I watched about 175 YouTube videos, and my opinion has changed. My outlook has changed, and maybe I'm willing to give things a better chance. I really found that I loved the story. I became very attached to the characters, the way I always seem to when I find a good story.
I want to apologize to everyone that I've ever bashed Pride and Prejudice to. I didn't give it a chance, and I should know better than to judge a book by its cover.
I've been in Europe for a month now, and I have been learning a lot about myself. Its funny because I even had a fortune cookie that said this would happen. I'm ready for a change again. I'm ready to return home and be a healthier person, all over. I'm ready to be that person that I want to be--maybe more like Mr. Darcy, a little more like Bing, and I'm sure glad that I still don't have anything in common with Mr. Wickham. I want to be that man that my wife is looking for, and I really think I am ready to start going to find her. I'm not perfect, in fact I'm quite flawed, but I know that I'm getting there.
I have given Pride and Prejudice a second chance, and I hope that I can give myself a second chance with less pride and prejudice.
I know that this might not seem like a big deal to you, my dear reader, but it is. I have been scared of love for so long, scared of hurting someone that I love, but more than that being scared of being hurt. It is as I always seem to tell people though, it really is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.
My name is Doug Knuth, and when I come home I want to give myself a better chance.
-Darcy FTW-
On a slightly more normal blog related note-
We can all be a little more like this Beatles song and greet a brand new day. Let's do that :)
Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play
Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It's beautiful and so are you
Dear Prudence won't you come out to play
Dear Prudence open up your eyes
Dear Prudence see the sunny skies
The wind is low the birds will sing
That you are part of everything
Dear Prudence won't you open up your eyes?
Look around round round
Look around round round
Oh look around
Dear Prudence let me see you smile
Dear Prudence like a little child
The clouds will be a daisy chain
So let me see you smile again
Dear Prudence won't you let me see you smile?
Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play
Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It's beautiful and so are you
Dear Prudence won't you come out to play
