Love, an international language.

My friend recently made a statement which sounded to me as though it had been quoted directly from a novel of Jane Austen; "they say college will get you your MRS..." followed by a statement which was less elegant.
We had been discussing the impending end of our undergraduate careers in college and speculating as to what life held for us beyond the sphere of university. She had stated an interest in continuing her studies in journalism or editing and I had told her of my emigration to begin my life with my sweetheart.
My statement aroused this sudden outburst of frustration and perhaps a little anger. My friend, it is safe to say, is a hopeless romantic who as of late had lost her faith in the existence of love of of her prince charming.
I find this loss of faith rather say as there are so few true romantic souls left in this world. When thinking of my romantic friend I immediately make a comparison between her and my close friend S.
S is less of a romantic but is searching for exactly the same outcome as D, the lustful, whimsical romance with the  ultimate outcome being a husband, a nice house, a nice lifestyle and kids. the difference between these two outcome is the presence of love in one scenario and the lack of it in the other.
Again drawing on the genius of Jane Austen and her works, I can only describe my romantic friend D as being a Elizabeth Bennett of sorts and S being more of a Miss. Bingley.
Elizabeth Bennett believed in marriage through affection, not arrangement, not for the social or economical gain which a good match would inevitably bring with it.
Nowadays we live in a world where we are free, in most cases, to pick our beloved, to marry because of love and live our lives as we please. So why is it that so many marriages fail?
Why is that so many people settle for second best?
is it a lack of romantic souls or a lack of romantic determination?
A lack of drive or a feeling of weariness when it comes to finding the one?
i hope it is the latter and not the death of the hopeless romantics as our art, our literature or film are all built on the foundation of love and stories of true love, we all search for the one and some of us are lucky enough to find it. I hope the hopeless romantics remain among us and do not give up just yet as the gift of love, giving it, receiving it, sharing it, is a gift which every person should experience in their lives. It is a feeling, an emotion which can consume you, change your world and alter how you see everything around you. it is a true blessing and one which will be kept alive for many centuries to come by the belief of mankind in the power of love or at least the hope of one day having it.

D. Mount