"I just have a lot of feelings."

In many of my classes, for reasons probably relating more to the classes I select than anything else, we frequently end up reading sentimental novels. And to be honest, I often have trouble imagining sobbing along with them, stirred to the heights of emotion by what seem to me to be ridiculously overblown descriptions of emotion. I scoff at whoever could be so naive as to be moved by such a book.

And then I go and watch Army Wives. It's this ridiculously overblown drama about wives of soldiers (duh), and how they and their families deal with duty to country and duty to family and blah blah blah. It's produced by those artisans of drama, Lifetime Television. And it gets me every. single. time. I always end up hunched over my computer, trying valiantly not to sob, moved to tears by impassioned speeches about what it means to be American/family/friends/etc. "Damnit," I think, "pull yourself together. You're too smart for this to work! It's all pro-America rah-rah bullshit! You're Canadian, for God's sake!"

Despite the fact that I can tell exactly how this show is trying to elicit my response, I am completely incapable of turning it off. It's the same thing with that Sarah MacLachlan ad for some animal protection agency (I'm not sure which one because every time it's on I either can't see through my tears by the time it gets to that part, or I've left the room to spare what's left of my dignity). I just can't hold back my immediate emotional response. So, I try to go a little easier than I used to on sentimental novels - after all, I'm just a slightly updated version of a sucker who cries while reading A Sentimental Journey.