What’s Love Got to Do With It? Man has searched for the meaning of love for as long as we have walked the face of this earth. What lies inside the human mind that requires this search for love’s definitive meaning? Writers have written about it, singers have sung about it and men and women have longed for it. So what is this deep-seated desire to attain and find the true meaning of love? I think the confusion starts with the misconception of the physical and the mental meaning of the word. Our confusion starts at the early age of puberty, I speak from my male perspective, when through visual differences we start to confuse the physical components with the mental aspects of love. Meaning this, early on in puberty the sight of the female anatomy arouses boys and I suspect in the gay community they are aroused by the sight of another male (just an assumption on my part) and probably the same for females. As the interaction between parents, individuals and society develop, we start to be bombarded with advertising and social input that equates and correlates the physical and the mental into the sexual manifestation of love. That’s where the confusion takes off as we now have a mindset with the physical, mental, and the sexualization of the word love. There is a path that the physical making of love can and often does lead to the mental aspects of love. But in my mindset the most rewarding aspect of love is when the mental is formed and developed and then leads to the ultimate consummation of lovemaking. I can only speak from my own experiences so this will get personal. I will not name names or places to protect all concerned. When I was young I was introduced to the physical aspect of sex and it was explained to me in a rather educational and informative context, not so much from the lustful carnal view. I developed the view that sex was a beautiful release of tension and stress and brought a sense of connection but still did not fulfill the need to be loved. So I learned to separate the two aspects. As my life progressed and I developed greater insights into life, marriage, children and work, the lessons I learned gave me a better understanding of the true meaning of the word love. Love is an extension of both the physical and the mental. Love is a mindset that we develop over time or in some cases never develop at all and remain carnal. We have the capacity to love on many levels. We also have the power to choose with whom and when we will share our love with others. This has all come to light for me this week after our ranch house burned down. We lost so many valuable items with precious memories attached, which can never be replaced. So many friends, both old and new, came forward with offers of help, kind words, and hope. So many people extending caring hearts when needed, no carnal attachments, just pure love at its finest. That is what I call LOVE. Love is a state of mind, a feeling we get when we connect from the heart and soul to others. We never know with whom or when it can happen, it just happens. The key is that you have to be aware and in tune to the possibilities of love and connection or love will pass by and you will never know it. So for the question, “What’s Love Got to Do With it?” my answer is everything! It is the point at which we are open to the possibilities it brings to our lives and existence, fulfilling the need for connection to the heart and soul.
I Love You All! Art
