Bad news for you guys
Last week I went through a regrettable period when I was obsessed with discussing love, its meaning, and its ostensible relationship to marriage with anyone and everyone. Unfortunately for the people around me, I was especially interested in muddling myself in others’ affairs by collecting their personal stories and opinions. Much to the relief of my friends, I am slowly recovering from this bizarre phase. But just as I thought the subject was closed and I had heard everything possible, the other day I spotted a purse on the metro that discussed the subject in a new way.
It’s not unusual to see all kinds of nonsensical, semi-sensical, obscene, hilarious, and otherwise egregious English splattered all across this city on billboards, t-shirts, walls, etc. Not a day goes by that I don’t see something ridiculous like a shirt that says “who’s baby is this?” or “living in the lap of subset luxury.” But this bag was a different case: it was a beacon of knowledge that stated, matter-of-fact like and without sequins, that “love is as strong as death.” When I read this as I entered the metro car, I was first startled, then amused, and then pensive as I considered why the statement had made such an impression on me. There must be some kind of truth in it, I thought to myself, as I wrote it down and vowed to analyze it later. Upon completing said analysis, I decided to leave everything else I had learned behind and take this as the one source of truth on love.
Allow me to share what love means. By the way, I realize that the statement only compared the strength of love to death, but I go hard core in my analyses, meaning I ended up comparing love to death.
1. Love is unavoidable.
2. Love is damaging to your health.
3. Love’s grip is as icy cold as the embrace of the grave.
4. Love lasts forever.
5. Love ruins lives.
6. Love ends things.
7. Love brings family members together for occasions at which many of them would rather be apart.
8. Love requires accessories.
9. Love’s real damage comes after the fact.
10. From the moment we are born, we are meant to love.
11. Love does not require talent or skill.
12. Love is a bummer.
13. Love does not play favorites.
14. Love only happens once.
15. Though love is extremely common, it is a very personal experience.
16. The end result of love is always the same.
It’s a deep analysis, to be sure, and the odds I missed anything are slim. But if I did, please feel free to add your two cents and no more.
Snotting black 
I’m so glad you liked my photos and thank you for checking out my blog. Stop in any time:) Love is a very interesting topic for me too. I am a huge fan of fairy tales and bought into the whole princess fantasy thing when i was younger, so, now I still love all of those stories but also love turning them on their heads and taking things like love and beauty and gender and reevaluating them. But, deep down I really am a hopeless romantic, with just a touch of cynicism.:)
I think that’s how many of us are….trying to admit the cold realities we know must exist but wishing all the while to find that one exception. I blame Disney.
I like your analysis and the comparison to death. I would only add/disagree with the “only happens once” and say that while it is seen as a momentous thing in our society and there is the tendency to see it as special and significant it is one of the most common things in the world and is happening all the time (both death and love). The commonness of love does not devalue it, it just makes it more natural, I think.:) Oh, and at the risk of sounding cliche, both death and love begin as well as end things or are vehicles of transformation. I could continue to ruminate because I love what you’re doing here but I’ll leave it at that:)
Thanks for the comment…I’m always on the lookout for new ways to see love. Call it a personal journey or boredom. By the way, I peeked at your blog and I love your pictures.
Wow! That was quite a blog on LOVE.. And to think I still love your grandfather after 58 years.
Well it is stronger than death.