Love Defined

Write Club Prompt #106

My feeling is that defining love is a great way to miss some essential component of it. It starts with a feeling. A belief that another person might be more important than yourself. But I’ve already left out love of country, and love of concepts or things. Certainly many men have gone to their graves for their countries. Is that not love? Prehaps it always comes back to the personal. What is a country if not the place where your loved ones live? As an American I have certain affection for my ancestral lands but not genuine love. I have no family connection left there.

In other areas our impulse for love can be subverted and used to control us. The much maligned simp is often one whose impules for love has been captured and used against him.

Ultimately, like the famous Raymond Carver characters, I must admit I have no idea what I’m talking about when I talk about love.