Love is a tricky variable to deal with when number-crunching through the equation of life.
It's Pi, running out of our control with an endless stream of digits. It's a paradox of simplicity and complexity, at once easy to recognize but impossible to comprehend.
Love can be seen as an agent of one's worldview whether it be in a deity, destiny, chance, coincidence, or a collective human consciousness.
No matter the name, there's some force that manages to bring people together.
One need only reminisce about past romances and friendships to consider the possibility. How many relationships sprung out of some computer randomly sticking people in the same class? How often has a chance string of events led to a relationship?
I can attest to this phenomenon. In October I was planning to see Absolunacy. Forty-five minutes prior to the show the friend I was going with called to cancel. I debated going alone, eventually deciding I might as well. Then on a whim I decided to spend my dinner money.
Downstairs in the dining area of Out of Bounds in LaFollette I ran into friends entertaining guests from out of town. I suggested we go to the show. Walking over to Pruis Hall, Cupid lodged about a dozen arrows in one of the visiting girls and me. It was electricity.
The random encounter led to a month-long, highly-meaningful, long-distance relationship for not only me, but also my roommate at the time who fell for the other girl.
Now, I could've just said, "This is not going to work. You live three and a half hours away." But I didn't. And because of that I had a month of heaven. She was my first true love.
When people resist their natural feelings of love, they get burned. A quiet strain may shackle a friendship. Or perhaps the decision will plant the seeds of regret.
We can't choose our relationships, we can only deal with them when they come. We're brought together for reasons. Each relationship and romance comes as a hammer and chisel to carve us into the people we'll need to be to handle and understand the great love of our lives.
Careful though. I'm not advocating a free love ticket. Legality and adultery can't be dismissed in love's name. One's love must not come at the pain of others.
Love is like writing. When inspiration strikes, you start writing immediately. You don't let the idea slip away. And when it's coming out you don't think about it, you can't censor it; you just let it flow out all raw and beautiful. Give it time before editing and revising.
And when the muse blesses you with an idea, you write it without weighting it down with grand expectations. Writers cannot only write what they think will be their great novel. It's only through writing continually that the writer might one day manage to create something wonderful.
And the hidden part of what that means is that in learning to write or how to love we make hordes of stupid mistakes and selfish errors.
That's OK though. The pain of failure cannot compare to the joy that preceded it and the experience gained.
We must have the courage to embrace love, the wildest, most random of truths.
Write to David at dmswindle@bsu.edu
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
