Why I'm Still Sad I'm Not A Gilmore

I watched Gilmore Girls when it was on, beginning to end. I bought every season on DVD from Target, which was saying a lot back then since it was a large chunk of my money when I was a college kid. I got TWO ex-boypersons hooked on the show to the point them saying "maybe we can watch just one more episode..." and admitting they weren't just watching it for the hot chicks. I watch the entire series again every year even though it was canceled in 2007, and there are dozens of shows readily available on Netflix. 

I love Gilmore Girls. I love Gilmore Girls because I know I will never be a Gilmore Girl. Here's why:

1. My mom and I will never have that post-Freaky Friday closeness. We will never be best friends. I love my mom, but she will always be my mom first and foremost. I have a Filipino mom. We have mother-daughter boundaries. As a teenager, she went busted her ass at work, told me when she didn't think I was dressed appropriately, and lectured me on eating too much junk food. My mom has never helped me get ready for a date, taken me on a road trip, or thrown a party in my dorm room. Though in my mom's defense, I don't know anyone's mom had a hairbrush-singing sleepover and ordered hundreds of dollars of takeout on her daughter's first night at college. I had a roommate once who's mom did a kegstand with her. I was secondhand embarrassed.
2. I am fascinated by small town life. Other CW/WB shows I've watched include Roswell, Dawson's Creek, and Hart of Dixie. Common theme: all set in quaint small towns. I've lived in Chicago the majority of my life, but when I was a teenager my parents move me to a really far out suburb. I had typical "you're ruining my life" flip outs, but I think it's because it was it was inconveniently far from Chicago, but not far enough to fit the TV image of a small town. It was too in-between, too up-and-coming suburb. I'm mentally awww-ing at the idea of knowing everyone in town, small town annual fundraisers, and having everywhere be within walking distance of the town square. I absolutely love living in Chicago, but I love the idea of the other extreme, having to make a day trip to find a shopping mall and watching the stars while sipping lemonade on a porch swing. I want to go to the ridiculous town festivals!
3. I feel Lorelai-ish feelings of disappointment. Lorelai always feels like her mother is judging her, that she's shaming her parents in one way or another even though she's a successful business owner. I never got knocked up in high school, never got arrested, I got a degree from a good school in the appropriate amount of years, and I don't go crawling to them for money. But somehow there's that slight bit of disappointment that I'm not also married with babies. When your parents want it all for you, there's always that bit of disappointment for not being able to meet expectations in all the categories. At least my parents never expected me to be a doctor.
4. The banter and vernacular. I talk fairly fast. I like when conversation flows back and forth easily. I make entirely too many popular culture references in every day life. I'm girl that yells "Pivot!" when trying to make something fit, and tells people to stop trying to make fetch happen. And yes, sometimes I talk in a loud and excited Gilmore-ish way. When I was a kid, we had a family party and I once asked my aunt why everyone's yelling. She said, "That's not yelling. That's just how we talk back home." Real talk. Never hold back at a Filipino party.
5. I seek a Luke Danes in my life. Rory's men included Dean (safe to the point of boring), Jess (her bad boy phase, but I stand by in thinking they should've ended up together, and Logan (rich douche bag). Lorelai's men included Chris (immature and packed with history), Max (safe to the point of boring), and Luke. While flannel and fishing isn't my shtick, Luke was otherwise wonderful. Cleans up well and willing to deal with a crazy family (need that, see above), check. Willing to bend over backwards for people important to him (high school dropout Jess, the Santa burger, lending out his precious truck to move Rory into Yale), check. Luke is the rare good guy who gets on the good side of his nemesis to buy his girlfriend a house, who plans his black sheep uncle's funeral, who saves a handwritten fortune in his wallet for years, and brings food to a cat's wake. Bonus: Luke could go off on a rant like no other! He was still a guy's guy. He's the grumpy man with the heart of gold.

I never wore six inch heels to class while I tried to solve a murder like the Pretty Little Liars.  I don't scheme like Blair on Gossip Girl. I've never fallen for a teen vampire like Elana. Or Buffy. Or Bella. But I still wish I were a little more Gilmore.