What is it about the promise of new love that makes us stupid? Whether we are already in love and falling again or had been in love and have fallen out and now met someone new, we are remarkably stupid for what is generally considered to be a pretty bright race, if not the brightest – though I have long held that the premise is debatable - That we are not so smart after all. We fall in love and we do the stupidest things – and I’ve come to realize that what we call “love’ half the time, would not even come close to even my loosest definition of the word, for most of the time, such escapades are simple crushes or infatuations and the like.
Let’s face it, do other animals fall in love or lust or infatuation as we do? Does a gold fish or a duck meet another fish or duck and spend their afternoons or their days lolling around and being all googly eyed and stupid and speaking of nothing else but the new beloved, boring their friends half to death, wondering what s/he is doing at this exact moment, as we stare, starry-eyed at the moon and think about whole worlds that separate us, but gosh, golly gee, we’re at least staring at the same moon and “in this way we are together.”
Oh please.
I want to be all romantic about it and I want to believe. Oh trust me I do, but I’ve become cynical. I read Al Barger’s post on Silly Love Songs and I liked it, despite what every one else said because I too want to believe in silly love songs. because I want to be as stupid and doofy as Paul McCartney was and believe that there is more to this world than what we see every day, which is divorce and people breaking up and sad songs all the time from the radio and the groups that I personally listen to like those sad sacks Travis or even Radiohead or even lately I admit, The Flaming Lips and previously and even now, Nirvana and the like and yes, Oasis because I like them – all bands that sing about the crashing and the thrashing of love in one way or another. Some may do it harder, others softer, but it all works out the same. Love crashes and thrashes. It may come in soft, but unlike our month of March, love does not leave like a lamb. It leaves like a fucking lion ripping your heart out from your chest and throwing it hard against the wall just to see how long it will stick.
Article comments
1 - mpho
wonderful post on a subject that's been near and dear to my mangled heart of late. this paragraph, in particular, made me laugh: "Is there nothing but silence? Silence and the sound of your own heart beating or breaking because you, damn it, were fool enough to believe that anyone could ever come close to even wanting or caring about catching you if you fell than the person you are with. And if you are not hooked up yet, then this is the question you should ask is would that person be there to catch you or are they here for the now? I cannot say what their answer will be, I only know that to me, this is the question one should ask.. for it is the most revealing of all. Try it out in real life and just watch who runs; it’s surprising and sad." the whole love thing is absurd, and i say that not because i'm jaded (though i am, terribly so) but because as you start out saying,"what we call “love’ half the time, would not even come close to even my loosest definition of the word." And yet we persist. When you can laugh about it, it's great. And when it sets you to tears, it's the greatest tragedy in the world. I haven't shed a tear over this last one, and I'm glad I've still got the laughter. But I fear the day it wears off. I had a post just a couple days ago that I haven't reposted on blogcritics yet, but it sparked some interesting commentary (I thought) from a married fellow. (I'm a single woman). He did a neat job of dissecting it from both angles--the attached vs. the unattached. The post is called "The Tyranny of Love" if you're interested. Thanks for your viewpoint. P.S. I really hated Magnolia, but Boogie Nights is right on. Go on with your bad self, roller girl!
2 - sadi
i Am interested in this post you speak of The Tyranny of LOve - where is that... is it here on Blogcritics? i'll look for it, or post the URL here or whatever. i'd love to see it....
being single is hard, but you just keep on keeping on and do as i said, you know the right one and it does all come down to who will catch you when you stumble, fall, you know, before you hit the deck and hard... you'll know who that person is, and after a few hard falls, you figure it out. right, have to kiss a few frogs, okay, more than a few, and so on. but it's true...
yeah, Boogie NIghts is right on. i agree. but i liked Magnolia too, i just liked Boogie Nights more - because it was so frank and honest and really about the passing of something and they did it just so well.
i'm STILL rollergirl, for the record. Still have my roller skates and even a rollerskate key with a little French kitten on it - not sure what the connection is but there you have it. I love these skates - and speaking off, i should go for a skate when the snow clears and ride my way along the beach road and board walk --
thanks for reading and writing and sharing - i look forward to seeing the link if you can provide it... let me know and do stay in touch. Rock on.. and keep cool.
:)
sadi
3 - Simon
Um, where's George Carlin
btw, that's a lot-o-blog.
4 - sadi
yes, yes i know. i really need to temper this, but we've already discussed this here and figured it comes out as it comes out, that some articles may be divided into two parts, but for the most part, it's okay with the editors to take the space it takes... but if it's too much to read onscreen or at all, hey, i understand that. it's personal preference and i of all people know that writing for the WEb should be short and sweet, but alas, that can't always be - ya know. sometimes, a thought takes time to convey.
George Carlin? Where is he? I really don't know, but he ain't here. Look elsewhere.
Cheers,
s.r.p.