When I need a break from writing, I log into my Facebook account for a few minutes. A couple of hours and a fried brain later, I’m still reading status updates, looking at food porn, and reading cheesy quotes about love.
Have you ever come across a quote that, at first sight, makes you say: “That’s … interesting … smart!“ Then you look at it again and think, “That’s just … dumb.”
It happens to me quite often. That’s because I like playing around with ideas. I like challenging points of view. Some call that arguing. I call it … debating. Or, better yet, intellectual fun.
Let me give you an example of the kind of fun I’m talking about. Here’s a quote I saw the other day.
“Everyone says love hurts, but that is not true. Loneliness hurts. Rejection hurts. Losing someone hurts. Envy hurts. Everyone gets these things confused with love. But in reality love is the only thing in this world that covers up all pain and makes someone feel wonderful again.”
What was your first thought after reading that? Did you agree with it? I did … sorry to say. But only for a few seconds. Then I told myself, no way. Loneliness, rejection, and the loss of someone only hurt if you love that someone. Otherwise, they are harmless. They might even feel like a blessing.
Love might cover up pain and make you feel wonderful. But it can also make you feel like your heart was ripped into a million pieces. How is that for being overly dramatic? Sorry, folks, but love hurts.
Oh, Romeo and Juliet didn’t live happily ever after … in case you haven’t heard yet. And leprechauns are not real… either. How many dreams have I just destroyed? Because I’m not done. Santa doesn’t exist. Your parents lied about the tooth fairy. And the only way to get exactly what you want in a relationship and not have your heart broken is to write your own darn romance novel. Then the hero is always smart, funny, caring, knows exactly what you want … and is the hottest, most skilled lover out there. You can get your happily ever after.
The only problem? Fantasy is just that … fantasy. It might not break your heart. But it won’t truly touch it either. You need a real person to do that. So, yes, love hurts. But, with the right person, love heals too. Love can cover up all pain and make you feel wonderful again. But only if your loved one’s heart and mind are not … elsewhere.
Now I’m going back on Facebook. I need to see what other quotes I can have “intellectual fun” with. I’ll be back in … ahem … a few minutes.
Ada Ireland is a pen name I came up with for myself. Unashamed Writing is a name I came up with for my blog.