All You Need Is Love...

Album of the Moment: Sarah McLauglan -- "Afterglow"

A couple Friday five questionnaires, that I found fitting for the week. Since it's been all about love, and looking at myself from a different perspective.

1.) Do you believe in love at first sight? Why or why not?

Yes, I'm a diehard romantic. I've always felt that there might be that slight possibility that the moment you make eye contact with the person that fate has tossed your way to be your "soulmate". My father asked my mother to marry him less than 24 hours after meeting her, and after 26 years they are still together. Sometimes not as happy as other times, but they still keep on trucking throughout all the difficulties that pop up. That, and the fact that every girl grows up with the notion that they will find their "prince charming" keeps a little bit of faith left in this heart of mine.

2.) What physical feature attracts you the most (romantically) to another person?

Hrm. Good question. Probably the eyes (How cheesy is that...) I'm a direct person, and if I can't make eye contact with them when they talk to me, I always seem to feel that they are hiding something from me. Oftentimes, I find that most men can't hold eye contact with me for very long, (and it's not like I'm having this staring contest to see who looks away first...) I just enjoy a person with the confidence to have a conversation and back up the things they say with the things that can be said in a look.

3.) What do you think is the biggest benefit of being in a romantic relationship?

The ability to develop trust and to have someone there when you need an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, or a naked body to rub up against. Having someone hold your hand when you walk down the street, or curl up next to you when you're falling asleep at night. Hearing the words "I Love You" whispered into your ear, when you need to hear it the most.

4.) Biggest downside?

I could say the small things, like having to compromise, or losing a little freedom, or not being allowed to be promiscuous, if that's your bag... However, the hardest thing for me to imagine, is something that my grandmother has gone through where she was madly in love with her husband for almost 40 years, and he died unexpectedly on Valentines Day in 1997. The thought of loving someone SO much, where they become an intregal part of your life and then having them suddenly ripped away, is terrifying to contemplate.

5.) Has your idea of love and romance changed? If so, how?

That seems to be a vague question. Perhaps if they specified an age differentiation. Whatever.

Yes, of course my idea of love and romance have changed since I was a child to present day. I might be disgustingly romantic, but I'm realistic.

I didn't date until I was 18, and I was a stupid teenage girl that thought the first person I dated was the person I was going to be with forever. (Thank Gad that's not the truth, since that first four and a half year long relationship was hellish in proportion.) I left that relationship a completely different person from the girl that entered it, and the shit that I dealt with left me a stronger, more independant person.

I dated around for a few years after that, but never found "love" other than a few brief relationships, and discovered, much to my dismay, that most men regard romance as something that the dog left behind and stuck accidentally to their shoe. Please note, that I say MOST, and not ALL. There are always exceptions to any statement. The ones that are decent, are taken for the most part, or never have thier potential realized because they are horribly shy, which is a pity.

Lately, love has taken a new form, and it's confusing and complicated. It's also more fulfilling than anything I could imagine, and it has taught me patience, communication skills, tolerance, acceptance, independance, and the ability to love unconditionally. Those lessons alone are worth more than gold.

Regardless of all this "life lesson" bullshit, I've always maintained the viewpoint that I would be happy living in a shack with someone that adored me (and that reciprocated that sentiment) than in a mansion with someone I could barely tolerate.

It's all about ME, ME, ME!

1) What is one thing about you that you hate?

One thing?! Well, I could say my body, but that would be too nondescript. (and quite honestly, most of the time I'm comfortable in my skin.) Most likely it would be the pooch I have that is genetically gifted to me from every female in my family. Gosh, thanks. The same goes for my size 11 feet. I pamper the hell out of them with pedicures and such, but I hate them.

2) What is one thing about you that you love?

I love my eyes. I communicate through them as well as I do through my mouth and my writing. I could never be a good poker player unless I wore shades, or a good liar because I can never hold eye contact long enough to tell a decent lie unless it's going to save my ass from being fired.

3) If you had to change one thing about you what would it be and why?

I bite my nails. It's an automatic reflex from when I was little, that I never notice until it's too late. I usually only do it when I'm stressed out, or riding in the back of my business partner's car when she's driving. (A wholly terrifying incident, let me assure you.)

4) What is one word that you would use to define yourself, and why?

Observant. I usually notice when someone has subtly changed the shade of lipstick they wear, or had a haircut, or dyed their hair about two seconds after I see them. I laugh at a lot of signs that I read along the way that seem to pique my sense of humour. I criticize the hell out of people with no fashion sense (but only in my head, unless Ryan is around.) I'm often asked to read over someone's writing to make sure there are no typos (to the best of my ability. My friend Travis calls me the spelling Nazi.) and catch them all the time in published books that I read. Gee, don't I sound boring.

5) Imagine what you would look like in a perfect world.. what do you look like?

My feet would be a size nine, my hair would obey my every command, I would still be curvacious, but wouldn't have the pooch happening, and my nails would not be bitten. Simple, superficial things that don't really matter.