Saturday, August 27, 2011

somebody to love

There is a hurricane brewing outside.

When I moved to New York I never imagined hurricanes to be on the list of things I may have to worry about, but here we are. Actually, I am rather enjoying it; it feels exciting.

Right now the rain is coming down in heavy sheets and making a soothing pitter-patter-y noise and occasional gusts of wind whistle against the windows. The power keeps going on and off, making my evening viewing of "Cast Away" impossible and so I sit and write. But what should I say...

I think I have come to a realization recently: I have a problem with dating. That is to say, I can't get one. not one date. Of course that is not the realization, that is old news after 23 years. The realization is as to why.
After I moved to the city I decided to join okcupid under the peer pressure of some friends. That is a tale in itself, but to sum up: I hated it. Oh, how I hated it. And I am simply no good at meeting people in bars or clubs and it has been hard to make friends out here, let alone find anyone to be interested in.
So, I got to thinking, what was it about internet dating and things of that sort that I, personally, don't like. So I spent some time mulling it over and this is what I have come to:

So many people in the world want to fall in Love. They want it like a goal or a New Years Resolution ("This year I will fall in Love!"). They want to do whatever it takes to be in Love, to feel what that means, to live the way one does when they are in love. And it does sound like a noble goal, to fall in love. It sounds like such a nice thing to go after. How wonderful to be in Love...that is a great New Years Resolution.

However, I don't want to fall in love.
I want to love someone.

Falling in love feels much more personal to me than searching through a host of people who are all searching for someone, anyone, to love them. I don't want to find somebody who is just anybody. And I don't particularly want to be just anybody either.
I would rather meet someone and get to know him a bit and then realize that perhaps I like him and then maybe love him. And maybe he will love me too. But the falling in love is based on the fact that I met him specifically. Not because I was searching for somebody to want me, but because I was living my life the best way I could , and loving people the best way I could, and I met him.

I don't feel the need to chase after "falling in love" because my life has no lack of love. I have so much love in my life, certainly more than my fair share. I have so many people to love and so many people who love me. I have a full life that is filled with passions and adventures and doing things I have always wanted to do, as well as things I never dreamed I could. In truth, I want for nothing. I don't really think you can find love if you are looking for it because you feel like something is missing. I guess I think real love sets to overflowing an already full life.

I am finding it difficult to explain exactly what I mean by all this...I don't mean to say that it is wrong to want to fall in love, or that you shouldn't feel lonely, or even that finding someone online is, in any way, a cheaper experience than another way...I don't believe any of those things.
This was more my realization about what I want from love. About why it is difficult for me to find. Of course, this realization doesn't really change anything. It doesn't get me a date and it still finds me hanging out, eating vanilla ice cream and watching "You've Got Mail" by myself on a friday night. But I don't mind it, at least not for now. (in my book, anytime spent watching "You've Got Mail" was 2 hours well spent! haha)

My life is so full of wonderful right now.
and that is something I would not have said a mere few months ago. And I am so grateful.
and so loved.


2 comments:

  1. I will completely agree with on you the "You've Got Mail" front--any night spent with the adorable and hilarious witticisms of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan is a great night, indeed!

    I loved reading this post. About a year ago, maybe a little more, I had a similar self-discovery in the love department, where I found myself butting heads on the issues of "I just want to go on a date" and "I want to find something meaningful." Every relationship I have ever had came out of a friendship that developed and grew, so I am definitely no good at just meeting someone in a bar or coffee shop and immediately being like, "yeah, you could be nice after 2.5 seconds of knowing you, let's date!" I would say that knowing what you are looking for and accepting where you are right now is half the battle. Because if you aren't the kind of girl who flings every weekend with So-and-So she met at Club Whatever, then I can bet that the guy who will be meaningful and just what you need is not going to be found in those places either.

    Incidentally, my current boyfriend and I were friends for a long time and only about five months ago sat down and said, "Wait a second, do I LIKE-like you???" This all came together after I faced myself about what my relationship expectations were and decided to just relax and not beat myself up over not having a date. And it's been a really wonderful, truly unexpected bliss with him since. Sometimes the right situation with the right person will sneak up on you.

    I wish you all the best, dear, and take care during the storm! Here's to more fabulous evenings of ice cream and great movies with hilarious cameos by Dave Chappelle. :-D

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  2. Thank you so much for your feedback and encouragement! I appreciate it more than you know.

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