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What is love?
Author: TriSec    Date: 08/14/2010 12:59:25




Love has a rather lengthy entry at dictionary.com. While I won't quote all of it, some of the more key definitions follow.


    a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

    a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.

    sexual passion or desire.

    to have love or affection for: All her pupils love her.

    to have a profoundly tender, passionate affection for (another person).

    to have a strong liking for; take great pleasure in: to love music.

    to have love or affection for: All her pupils love her.

    to have a profoundly tender, passionate affection for (another person).

    to have a strong liking for; take great pleasure in: to love music.


Trying to explain what love is to someone, is another matter entirely. Why do I love my wife, or my child, or an inanimate hunk of aluminum and aero engines? I don't suppose I could really say with any clarity.

It's one of those mysteries of life, I suppose. By necessity, or design, perhaps nature has it hardwired among all living things that "opposites attract". But again, what makes an opposite? At a base level, there's the male/female divide. But love is much more than that. There's love that contrasts....love that complements...and sometimes love that defies all explanation.

Our friends on the right, and the ultra-religious always try to define love in terms of pro-creation. But I believe that to be more a product of society. The physical act is, in all honesty, rather a quick thing that can be done by just about any animal without having any attachment to their 'partner'. Most animals reproduce with little or no contact with each other after 'the act' is complete...although some do form lasting pair-bonds.

It's only man that has turned it into a ritualized, lifelong pairing that needs to be codified and recognized by an authority, whether it's the church, the state, or something else.

Love of any kind should be accepted, and celebrated for what it is. The determination of two people that they have some mutual affection and want to build that into a life together is a wonderful thing.

I think the best categorization is something a long-ago member of Air America Place once said. Their name has since eluded me, but the statement has not.

"I fell in love with a person, not their anatomy."

Of course we all know this happened yesterday.

We should all be happy that Ms. Miller may have found love, and that has given her the courage to be true to herself and the rest of the world.

It's the rest of the world that still needs to catch up.


 

4 comments (Latest Comment: 08/15/2010 01:30:17 by livingonli)
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Comment by livingonli on 08/14/2010 16:40:56
A belated Fristy pants. I think I had a hot flash this morning because I woke up and my skin was all red and itchy which made it difficult for me to fall back asleep. Although I almost thought I wasn't going back to sleep at all.



At least tonight, there is a party for my roomate's daughter who just graduated law school so there's so something going down.

Comment by Raine on 08/14/2010 22:16:47


Comment by Will in Chicago on 08/14/2010 23:04:13
Hi, TriSec!! Thanks for a great blog as well as some great posts over at UNN.



I hope that Steph has or will find someone to share her life with. It is not easy.



The right wing will attack her for coming out, but perhaps it is best to remember that FDR knew he was going to be hated by people for what he did --- and went ahead anyways.



I think that the we will see the world catch up, although it will take time. Love will conquer all.

Comment by livingonli on 08/15/2010 01:30:17
Now I have to see it. Apparently Momma and Randi made out at the Seattle show.