The Grass is Greener in Writing

I was at a friend's birthday party where I met a couple who seemed very well-matched and very close. They had met online. This made me think...is it really possible to date online and meet someone that is actually well-matched and fall in love? We hae all seen commercials but I wanted real, logical proof.

My cousin helped me sharpen my perspective. He said that meeting someone as a blind date or online is always a let-down because things look so much better when displayed as a marketing piece. So for example.. you know those infomercials about the Pilates videos that show someone go from size 18 to size 4 in a few short months, are not actually as magical as they claim. The regimen and the accompanying diet, followed precisely and unwaveringly is what makes them work!

So I got to thinking: if you really WANT to fall in love, can you? They say allowing things to happen is half the battle. So.. if I allow myself to warm up to a stranger that was talked up by a friend or by himself on his internet dating site, then I can fall in love?

This made me think about the process of falling in love, which to me can be described somewhat systematically for me. I think for me, love is like going deep into the forest and getting lost with no way back. I have to be led into this forest gradually.

I think the reason the first time one falls in love is so special is that it just happens without any maps or any intention to navigate or be aware of what is happening. There is no prejudice and no expectations and no benchmarks. You go on about things, have some fun, and before you know it, you've literally fallen into a hole, a well, a pit, and you just fell!

The NEXT time you suspect or anticipate a fall, you are all flexed up... thinking about how you could lower yourself more intentionally than just falling. This is a normal human reflex. It's like when you've say burned your hand a few times, you are going to be very cautious and hesitant around fire.

Anyway, that dorky couple I met last night were sort of funny. They are both extremely nerdy but I think they both find themselves and eachother very cool which is the sign of a good fit. I wonder what they would say about their love. Did it look better from the outside? Were THEY themselves marketing their relationship and I mistook that for love? It's hard to say....