Reflect a bit on how often you use the word "love" in a day and, depending on how well you watch your tongue, you may be surprised by how often it pops up. I recently did a bit of introspection on what/who I actually love and what/who I "love."
Loves
- Mom & Dad
- Sure it's a standard, but it's a standard for a reason. Unless your parents are in some way abusive, they are probably doing whatever they are doing because they love you and are attempting to help you make yourself better. I love my parents and I know they love me back.
- Life
- Despite numerous complaints, I cannot honestly say I don't enjoy life. Every minute of every day gives me new insight into myself and others. I am constantly learning new things—not that I will ever need calculus or physics in my career. I love to see things happen and experience everything. Paradoxically, while I may not like certain things, I love feeling and experiencing them nonetheless.
- Art
- I truly love all forms of art and expression. It amazes me that something so simple as words on a page, dots on a staff, people on a stage, or color on a canvas can tell so much to so many. Art, in all its shapes, creates a world of experience and understanding. If fewer people spent time glued to their trash TV (sorry, but I cannot call any form of reality television "art" in even its broadest form) and dollar menu meals, and instead read a book, watched a meaningful movie, or went to an opera the world could be a better place. Artists (poets, musicians, actors, painters, sculptors, authors, etc.) have been creating messages for as long as art has existed, for as long as mankind has had the mental capacity to understand the abstract. I have never felt so emotional as when I read a phenomenally written book, or finished a spectacular movie, or played/sang an extraordinary piece of music.
- Language
- As a sort of subset to Art, language is an expression, a representation of thoughts in a form understood by billions. It provides for every form of an idea one might have, though bearing the flaws inherent in expressing the abstract. It molds itself around the culture and has yet to fail me.
Love-nots
- Food
- While I love the experience that comes with food, I can't say that I feel any sort of emotional attraction to it. It's tasty and that's all.
- People
- My daily mantra, as all of my friends know, is "I hate people." This isn't true, of course, but as with all jokes there is an element of truth: while I like people generally, I will never be able to say I love people as a whole. And until I get to know someone very well and actually develop that emotional connection to him, I will never be able to say I love any person (with the exception being my family).
- Things
- There are many important objects in my life: cell phone, laptop, books (referential), vehicle (I hope it dies and burns in hell—yes I know I'm personifying the damned thing), iPod, camera, pen/pencil, piano, etc. These things play a great role in my day-to-day functions, and yet, I feel as if they are merely amenities making life easier, but not any more fulfilling. I do not feel a connection to these objects, and I bear no love for them at all.
There are many other things I could say I don't love, but that seems like a waste of cyber-space.
I have many likes and I have liked many, but of love I have encountered not five. There are myriad people I could say I like. There are couple I could say I like a lot. But to incite love, I must feel the same in return: reciprocation, if you will. This isn't to say I want something from anyone I might love, but I could never love someone who doesn't love me in return.
Following on this train of thought is the idea of "making love." This is most certainly a misnomer as the act of inserting ones...phallus into an...orifice (this is my attempt to use euphemisms to keep my blog relatively work-friendly) is purely hedonistic. It's fun, it feels good, woot woot! But no love. Which is why intercourse of any kind shall only occur between lovers (in my case). Pointless, loveless sex just causes problems. Falling in love first will make it so much more exciting—and therefore more loving (you get the whole love of experience in there).
"Love thy neighbor." No. I will not. I will be friendly with my neighbor. That's all.
