Hedging Bets on Love

Love is a dangerous emotion. At least, that is what our language says when we “fall” for someone. Falling is uncontrolled, and while the falling doesn’t hurt, the sudden stop at the end does. Clearly then, when we discuss someone “falling” in love, we are talking about an uncontrolled emotion, something that is likely to take someone and drop them in a painful situation. The loss of control over one’s emotions are highlighted in the metaphor. We cannot control our descent, and that loss of control is taken as a negative effect. Another side effect of falling in the real sense is disorientation as we lose gravity. This feeling, of not knowing which way we are falling is true to the sort of blind disorientation that results from love. At the same time, love is not bad. It creates a positive bond which is ignored by the metaphor of “falling.” Unless it talks about people “falling together” in which case a different sort of metaphoric image is created, “falling in love” ignores the positive aspects of the emotion. When we use that equation, of how falling is equal to love, we tell ourselves that we have no control over it. While we can chose to fall, chose to jump off some high precipice, all too often it sneaks up on us as we trip over something we didn’t see. It seems to say “don’t go looking, for love, because eventually love will catch up to you.” While we admire those who are passionately and deeply connected by love, we are also a little bit irritated by those who are blinded by their love. Shouting “get a room” to the couple that is obliviously making out at the football game is a good example. The general populace is irritated by that sort of uncontrolled display of affection. But even so, the intolerance is a gentle one, an acceptance that such a display is beyond the control of those engaged in it. After all, they cannot control “falling.”

I feel that I must digress now to talk about A Ways From Nowhere. It does deal with love, and in many ways with “falling” (of one sort or another). If one can fall into love, can one also be tripped or pushed? What if a little nudge was all that it took? That if you had the right skills you could “push” someone ever so lightly into someone else’s arms. Either that, or you could trip that person into your own arms. What would you do with those powers? Well, that’s enough of the shameless plug for one day. Toodles!