Shannon--
Although my excerpt was about how I expect books to be romantic, I think I agree with your lens as a philosophy for life. I try not to expect too much from everyone, so then I won't be disappointed in the end. I make every effort not to read books (outside of class) that I know will be sad or upsetting, because it will stick with me and ruin my day. I never realized that it was possible to view literature in similar ways as one does life. Now do you make a conscious effort to choose books with happier endings?