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Popular Culture Review
ships, along with the other cultural themes and expectations for nearly newlyweds,
almost dictates that problems will primarily be historical matters relevant prima
rily for how they strengthened the loving relationship that exists today. For ex
ample, Gretchen and Chris encountered a geographical obstacle when Chris, a
professional hockey player, moved to Slovenia rather early in their relationship. In
her own professional capacity as a flight attendant, Gretchen was able to visit
Chris there, and eventually she decided to move to that nation: “For me to move to
Slovenia, it was a big deal. It was giving up my family, giving up my friends,
giving up the job that I really love to do, but I really knew we really had to be on
the same continent.” Shortly thereafter, the couple encountered yet another major
obstacle: Gretchen was diagnosed with bone cancer. Chris proposed before her
scheduled surgery.
In the case of Michelle and Paul, the devastating death of Paul’s friend, Tim,
complicated the courting process. But in the end, they suggest, it brought them
closer together.
Michelle: It was so hard for him to see his friend deteriorate that way.
Paul: I remember just feeling so sad and tom up inside.
Michelle: I never actually met Tim because by the time I got here from
the Philippines, he was already so ill and he was bedridden. And the fol
lowing day he did pass away. And that opened me and Paul up emotion
ally for each other.
Paul: Michelle’s whole attitude after the funeral did seem to change.
Michelle: It really showed us the fragility of life and how quick it can go
away. And you know we had been playing with it for ten years and sud
denly it was gone. And so it really...made you want to act and kind of
seize the day. So after that visit, I went back to the Philippines knowing
that I wanted to come back and knowing that I wanted to spend my life
with Paul.
Paul: We knew we wanted to be together and she had said earlier that,
“Oh, I don’t want a long distance relationship.” But now she says, “I
really want this long distance relationship and I really want it to work.”
Even more common throughout the episodes we studied was the implicit or
explicit assertion that participants’ love would last for the rest of their lives or for
eternity. Nearly every couple invoked this theme at one or more points during their
narrative. Speaking to each other in this excerpt, Nicole and Charlie appeared cer
tain that theirs will be a successful marriage.