Winter is getting old. I guess that’s to be expected this time of year. It is -19°F or -28°C. We had to get plowed out again, but not because of a new snowfall. It was windy yesterday with gusts they said reached over 60 mph. It was just old snow blowing around.
The one good aspect of this winter weather is it’s a good time for writing. I have been looking at and working on one old project, Love and Other Disasters, one new project without a title. I keep returning to Love and Other Disasters. There is always a market for love stories. Think of what is on top of the recording charts year after year. They are songs about falling in love or being rejected or worse yet, being cheated on. That is even true in opera. Although in opera, they favor tragic love stories such as La Boheme or Aida.
I have asked in classes why there is always a market for love stories in films, novels, music, and so on. It takes a while and almost everyone is unhappy with the ultimate answer – its biology. We want a story with a happy ending and the couple living happily ever after. As far as nature is concerned, it is simply reproducing to continue the species. That scientific fact is hard to swallow. I know it’s the true cause of all love stories. On the other hand, it does not include our feelings. We can all remember the feeling of falling in love. The excitement, the worry, and all of the other emotions love engender. It simply does not feel correct. There has to be something more than simply reproduction.
What do you think? Can you separate a biological imperative from the warm fuzzy feeling of falling in love?
