Happily Ever Aftering

I've been thinking a lot about integrity lately. With Roman Polanski and David Letterman in the news, I am shocked at what people accept. I believe people make mistakes and I'm not writing to judge these men. My problem comes with how people react to it. Martha Stewart's comment regarding David Letterman's affairs was, "Men are men." What!!! So because he's a man we can't expect integrity or fidelity! Do decent men of the world not take offense at people having such low expectations of them?

I was driving home from work yesterday thinking about my expectations of a man. Growing up I had a huge crush on King Arthur (Richard Harris' version from the musical Camelot). There is one scene in the movie that I would watch over and over. It is when Arthur realizes Guinevere and Lancelot are having an affair. He goes into a room and gives, what I view, the most moving monologue in all of film history. He says how Lance is his best friend and Guinevere is everything he would choose in a woman. These two people whom he loves more than anything betrayed him. Then he says, "I will have a man's vengeance." Then he softens and says, "But I am not a man. I am a king, and a very civilized king." He goes on to talk about how it's not civilized to destroy what he loves. He resolves to forgive and love them. The scene makes me swoon. I have always and will always love that man.

I was in my 30's when I realized that movie set a very high expectation for me in finding love. I wanted man with the integrity and compassion of King Arthur. I also realized it was a movie and perhaps I should live in reality. I haven't thought much more about it until last night. I was driving home and thinking of Rick and everything he's been through in his life. I am often floored at how amazingly he has handled the cards he was dealt in this life. I suddenly realized that I married King Arthur. I got the man with the compassionate heart and forgiving nature. I am not exaggerating when I say that his integrity is right in line with my favorite movie scene.

I love moments like these when I realize my life is everything I dreamed it would be. On my not-so-secret dating blog, I gave Rick the code name of Grant because I said he made me feel like a leading lady in an old movie (Grant from Cary Grant). I should have called him Arthur.