The problem with Edward

Whether we're talking about Edward Cullen (Twilight) or Edward Scissorhands, what we're actually talking about is the "Edward" type of man.

So what makes this Edward type?

Some people would think that it's all about the looks. Edward has deep dark eyes, messy silky dark hair, reddish lips and cold pale skin. The general features of his body, delicate to the point of being perceived as feminine, indicate a rather fragile character. In fact, Edward is much stronger than we could imagine just by looking at him and his strength comes from the inside.

Some others would think that it's all about the feelings. Edward not only experiences intense feelings and emotions, but he displays them. He falls in love madly and irrevocably. He would never stop believing in true love and this is why he is never afraid to risk anything for it. He is kind, gentle and romantic to the point of being considered naive and cheesy. Actually, his innocence comes from a genuinely pure heart.

If we sum up all these elements, we can easily conclude that what really makes Edward a self-contained type of man could be condensed in one single word: DIFFERENT. Yes, Edward is different from most men in so many ways. And I'm not talking about having scissors instead of hands or feeding on human blood. And it's not about the looks, for these could be deceiving. He may look feminine, though he triggers an incredible sexual attraction in women. He may look frail, though he's capable of great acts of courage when his love is in danger. He may look strange because very few of us can relate to his way of loving and living. This is why he always seems like he's coming from outer-space or at least from a long-forgotten romantic age. In fact, Edward strives for understanding but what is really essential about him is that he believes in soul-mates and he would do literally anything to find and keep his girl protected.

So, if this Edward is such a special and perfect guy, what's the problem with him? Why is it so difficult for him to find his happiness?

First of all, he doesn't seem to be "man enough" for most of the modern girls.
Reaction type 1: "Are you serious? Just look at him. He looks/thinks like a woman. How can he pretend to be a man?"
However, many of these girls will desperately need an Edward at least once in their lifetime, after they will have had enough of the vanity, indifference, deceiving, lust and all the other attributes of the much-adored hunky modern man.

Second of all, he's just too good to be true and after a while, he becomes boring.
Reaction type 2: "Oh, I would love a man like that. Actually, I did have an Edward once but it didn't work. You see, he was too good for me. I needed something else."
So, even if some of us had the rare chance of having an Edward in our life, we thought that he was too dreamy and unrealistic and maybe a bit too romantic for our world.

So what are the odds for Edward to find his half? Because there is still another problem:
If you eliminate all the type 1 and type 2 girls and if you admit that the very few left who might really need an Edward could be on the other side of the Earth, speaking a different language and living in a totally different culture, you can easily figure that our strange sensitive Edward has almost no chance whatsoever to fulfill his purpose in this life. Because yes, this is the real problem with Edward: he cannot live only for the sake of wealth, power, career, popularity or pleasure. All these mean nothing to him if he doesn't have his beloved one next to him.

I think what I'm trying to say is that, whether you are an Edward or a girl waiting for an Edward, whether you believe in fate or in coincidences, never stop believing in each other because you know it just like I know it that nothing else in this world would fill your heart with happiness. Most of all, nothing else in this world is worth all the loneliness, the pain and the desperate search. True love, it's all about true love, from the very beginning till the very end.

(first published in November 2009 on http://luiza82.deviantart.com/art/The-problem-with-Edward-143991948)