TRUE LOVE

THIS VALENTINE'S DAY, WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF MY PREMISE - RESOLVED: FIRST LOVE SHOULD BE LAST LOVE? I'VE OBSERVED HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS IN THE CONTEXT OF HISTORICAL HINDSIGHT AND DECIDED THAT THE PULL OF FIRST LOVE IS DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN BUT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO LOOSEN. EXAMPLES ARE COUNTLESS OF COUPLES IN FIRST LOVE FOLLOWED BY STRUGGLES TO SUSTAIN IT, SEPARATIONS AND THEN STRUGGLES TO FORGET. YET INEVITABLY THEY ARE DRAWN BACK TO EACH OTHER AGAIN AND AGAIN, SOMETIMES WITH TRAGIC ENDS. GRANTED, FIRST LOVE IS NOT INFATUTION, LUST OR CONVENIENCE. IT INVOLVES TWO FIRST FACES AND VOICES MISSED, THAT FIRST GIFT OF MAGICAL, ALIEN, PHYSICAL ATTRACTION ACCOMPANIED BY THAT FIRST FEAR OF A DESTINY WHICH INCORPORATES A LIFETIME.

BUT YOUTH IN THE THROES OF FIRST LOVE OFTEN DON'T UNDERSTAND THE AWESOME CONSEQUENCES. CONSIDER THE FUTILE AND CONSTANT SEARCHES FOR 'LOVE' IN HOLLYWOOD AND ACROSS AMERICA'S WASTELAND OF 'HOOKUPS.' THE BREAKUP OF ANGELINA JOLIE AND BRAD PITT - PITY THE CHILD - PUTS TWO FACES ONTO A PICTURE OF LUST LOST RATHER THAN ON ONE OF A FIRST LOVE GAINED.

LOVE, OF COURSE, SHOULD BE LOOKED FOR IN ALL THE 'RIGHT' PLACES BUT SO MANY UNEDUCATED YOUTH ONLY GO WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO WRONG. LOVE, FOR SURE, MEANS COMMITMENT, NOT CONVENIENCE OR CHANGE. DARN A BELOVED IN WHOM A LOVER FINDS FLAWS. DRAT IT WHEN A LOVER WON'T CHANGE. THE EASY ANSWER IS TO 'FALL OUT OF LOVE.' TRUE LOVE , FIRST LOVE, BY IT VERY HUMAN NATURE, IS IMPERFECT LOVE AND CAN ONLY BE PERFECTED BY HARD WORK AND A HAPPINESS PURSUED DAY BY DAY. TO QUOTE FROM WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE IN HIS SONNET #116:

"LOVE IS NOT LOVE/ WHICH ALTERS WHEN IT ALTERATION FINDS."

IF TRUE LOVE IS FIRST LOVE, AND FIRST LOVE IS TRUE, SHOULD IT NOT BE WORTH A LIFETIME OF LOVE'S LABOR TO BE FULFILLED IN A VORTEX OF LOVE?

WHAT ARE YOUR OBSERVATIONS, COMMENTS, OPINIONS?