What is wrong with Bella ??

I am hardly a Twilight fanatic. I can tolerate it. I went to the opening night midnight showing of New Moon, mainly because a good friend of mine is a nut for this stuff and I wanted to spend time with her. I am a good friend like that. :)

As I was watching New Moon with her the second time the other night (because I am still a good friend :) and didn’t care what was on the TV in my post surgery haze, as long as I had some company) I got annoyed by the characters. So I started to analyze why I might be so annoyed.

Then I figured it out. Everyone in this movie is MISERABLE!! No one is happy. No one is smiling. Bella and Edward seem to have to force themselves to be together. If they are really so much in “love” where is the happiness and joy? They are just so obsessed with the frustration of the mortal vs. immortal thing … just be happy if that’s what you want!! Bella’s entire life is consumed by her relationship with Edward. He even watches her sleep. That’s unhealthy … even by vampire boyfriend standards.

Then something else occurred to me, and it infuriated me.

When Edward left, Bella became a recluse. She didn’t leave the house; she was miserable, so sad and forlorn. She tried to hurt herself so that Edward would come and save her.

When she finally came out of her funk, she started spending every waking moment with Jacob. This guy then consumes her whole life. She lives and breathes for this new relationship/friendship with Jacob. Then he gets a fever and has to turn into a werewolf and can’t see her anymore. So, she slips back into her depression.

Is this really the message we want to be sending to our young girls?? That their entire lives are defined by if they have a boyfriend or not? Why isn’t Bella focusing more on herself? Why can’t she find happiness in being an independent woman? I am pretty sure the author was going for it being “romantic” but it comes across to me as all wrong. Bella has no life and no identity without either Edward or Jacob.

Sadly, I have adult girlfriends who act the same way. Their life is defined by if they have a man, and who or what that man is. They become so engrossed in being someone’s “girlfriend”, “fiancé” or “wife” they have no individuality or self worth with out that.

I am not saying I have never experienced such emotions. But I am proud to say I was able to see past such self-destructive patterns and as I grew and matured into the woman I am today. I am Steve’s wife, I am Jake’s mom … but I am also Michele, a woman who loves her family and friends, movies and true crime documentaries and stupid reality shows. I love my job and career and someday hope to change the world into fiscally responsible adults who pay their bills on time, aren’t drowning in credit card debt because they want things they don’t need and can’t afford. That’s me.

Perhaps I need to write my own story of a female who conquers the world all on her own … oh and by the way, she is happily married as well.