Don’t you know that storybook love always has a happy ending?

Since I was 6 I had a weird perception of love. It was because I knew a real life Barbie and Ken.

Barbie and Ken met like how all perfect loves meet. In the quad on a gorgeous day spring quarter. She was a freshman, he was a senior. They both liked to hang out with friends and play volley ball and on that day their two friend circles crossed and so they met. They met for the first time but they knew in each others eyes that they have found something special in each other. They became friends shortly after… After all they were both dating someone else at the time – but that didn’t stop them from growing closer.

Ken would follow Barbie to Seattle and he would go to New York to learn Chinese for her…. Barbie went home for the summer. This is when I found out about Barbie and Ken – and this is when I started formulate what true love really meant. Barbie and I were pretty close – She always brought me around, she taught me English. She loved hanging out with me and I loved hanging out with her. She started writing letters to Ken – lots of letters. She had me draw pictures for her to send to him.

One day – as we were making one of these gift packages for Ken she popped in a tape. “Listen to this song Steve, close your eyes.. can you hear the love, can you feel the love.” She said.

And I listened… and I was drawn in for some reason. Was it because of Barbie’s influence? Was it because I started to understand what love was? Was it because I was drawn to the promise of a storybook love? Who knows? I was like 9 years old.

Barbie and Ken got married when I was 11. She was 24 and he was 27 – The wedding was amazing and so was my perception of love.

So perfect Barbie and Ken.

Since then I have fallen in love and out of love. broke hearts and had a broken heart. I don’t believe in a storybook love anymore – Barbie and Ken was just a fluke. Or maybe I just have not found my Barbie yet. Maybe I just haven’t found my Barbie to find the Ken in me.