The Merits of Being in Love (in 17th Century Virginia)

I love the song, "If I Never Knew You" from the special edition of Pocahontas. Absolutely, completely love this song. It's about being glad you know someone, and love them, even if it doesn't work out. But I think it's about more than just love, it's about life - being grateful that you've lived the life you have, even if it's not what you thought you wanted.

John Smith tells her that loving her showed him a different side of love, something I completely agree with. Being in a relationship is a completely different way of living, thinking for two, rather than one. It provides a different perspective on life, something we can't really understand until we've met someone for whom we would see the world differently.

Pocahontas tells him, "I thought our love would be so beautiful, somehow we'd make the whole world bright. I never knew that fear and hate could be so strong." That's another thing I feel strongly about, hate on love. As someone who is rather liberal, and has always been in love with love, I have to admit that I don't understand the opinion of hating love. That there is any kind of love that is "wrong."

I thought our love would be so beautiful...

This is something that's coming up again now, and I want to talk about it as much as I can because I have friends I care about, and that there would be laws that would make them second class citizens because of who and how they love baffles me. Absolutely floors me. I freely admit that I don't know all the politics about it, but I think that's also the point - it's about love, not politics. It's just about love. I don't get it. And I don't know if I want to understand. I just want to love, and be loved. I think that's something we can all agree on. Or should agree on.


There's one last thing about this song, something I'm not sure I really understand.

If I never felt this love...

Pocahontas: "It would have been better if we'd never met. None of this would have happened."

John Smith: "Pocahontas, look at me. I'd rather die tomorrow than live a hundred years without knowing you."

This happens right at the beginning of the scene. While John is tied up for the murder of Kocoum.
John's telling her he wouldn't change a minute of their time together. Which is romantic and cute and all that, but Kocoum is still dead, and it's a shitty situation, but he's dead because of them. And I think they know it. I think that brings up another idea about love: being selfish. Sometimes it's a good thing, and in John Smith's words, can't think of any examples right now...


Their love might have been beautiful, but it still got someone killed. Love is never black and white, plain and simple. It's tricky and elusive and should be worth being blind and selfish. I think. I don't know. I do, however, think that it's something everyone should get to experience for themselves, regardless of orientation.

Keep on Loving

- AJ