Is it true that love is in the eyes of the beholder?
In Nicole Constable’s Romance on a Global Stage, Constable informs the audience (readers) of her findings, particularly giving examples of numerous couples that have been successful in finding love. She does not however, give voice to those women who might be considered “mail-order brides” (Constable 60). In the section “Ethnography in Virtual Communities” accounts are given that describe how communication efforts are passed on to those of actual interest. Those who were originally pen pals may have gotten in touch with friends of said person, or shared with another who might be “the one” (Constable 40). In most cases, these men and women do not consider this process impractical, they encourage these relationships to happen. As always though, some find this method rather rash, they imply that since you can’t find someone in America, you look towards the Eastern side of the world for “love”. Those (Filipinas) married by this process do not consider themselves as such brides, but of immigrants (Constable 61).
In addition to “love”, most find it difficult to find a significant other. Nowadays you see women, or men on social media lie, cheat, and often use their partners — hence why other methods of finding love are used. With my generation, “high school sweethearts” often marry around ages 20–25 (observation). There are certain ages where you must figure out what “love” is, you must experiment. One online site that comes to mind when finding your significant other would be eHarmony, a dating site that attempts to match couples with similar interests. After chatting for some time, both have the option of meeting in person and going from there. While several of these sites do require a fee for additional interactions, I feel that it aids the user much more than “real-life” situations would. One that is shy may act like a fool — most believe in the “first encounter” ruling.
Going back to Constable and her accounts of couples, I can safely say that finding love in her methods described are easier than in today’s society (younger generations). Different cultures might influence your overall view on others, but your words and actions ultimately determine your love for someone.
