You’re the Main Character, Stop Looking For a Co-star
By Cristina Lenoci
Whether it's the couples costumes that I'm forced to see on social media or the notorious start of "cuffing season," something about fall always makes me want to be in a relationship. I play Taylor Swift on repeat and think that every guy I see in a coffee shop might be my next boyfriend. I’m a big romanticizer. I romanticize and turn everything that happens in my life into a story. So, naturally, I like to make myself the main character. This starts from the moment I wake up to my alarm playing “Perfect Day,” the theme song of the iconic movie Legally Blonde. I continue my days by leaving my apartment because no good story is set in someone’s home. In my mind, I’ll get way more school work done if I am sitting in the window of a coffee shop, or surrounded by the darkwood walls of my University Library- because that’s what a main character would do. This is a lifestyle that I know I am capable of. Specifically this past summer was the definition of a main character moment for me. Everything I did and everywhere I went was a story.
Lately, I’ve fallen back to my usual lonely routine. I somehow shifted the narrative from “girl boss,” to the cheesy Hallmark lead- that one character who drops everything for the local hometown restaurant owner or christmas tree farmer (no hate to Hallmark-- I watch your christmas movies religiously). Nevertheless, Hallmark movies don’t hit the big screen for a reason. Have you ever closely looked at the cover of one of those Hallmark movies? In Legally Blonde’s design, the iconic Elle Woods takes up the whole poster, only to be accompanied by her furry companion, Bruiser. But in Hallmark movies, the posters always display a pair of costars. When I really think about it, I want to be Elle Woods walking to law school in my pretty pink dress, without another person by my side sharing the spotlight.
Now, this doesn’t mean that I’m opposed to finding a relationship or love, right? It just implies I want to be the main character of my life story, regardless of my relationship status. This is my story! Yes, there will be chapters that include love and boys and relationships, but that's just a supporting plot, not the main one. There will be plenty of other supporting plots too, highlighting my family or friends- or maybe a special chapter set in Bora Bora. Yet, these assets cannot single handedly determine my story. If romance was my main plot, I’d be the Hallmark supporting lead- where my co-star and I realize we can’t go on without each other and decide to live happily ever after. My life would be pretty boring after that final kiss scene. Instead, I want to be an iconic female star, with a plot that allows for sequels and spin offs because the story never ends. Like Elle, I want my story to progress regardless of who else is in my corner. If Warner didn’t break up with Elle, she wouldn’t have gone to Harvard, and the world would never have learned the first cardinal rule... that perms can’t get wet for 24 hours after being done.
So stop looking for your co-star! You don’t need one. You are your story’s own single star. You’ll have supporting characters that come and go, but they aren’t so important to the ultimate plot. Your story will continue to be written regardless of what happens to supporting characters, but it can’t be written without you! So always remember who you are as the main character, and continue to grow and expand on that character. The rest will come naturally.