Zina -

Great topic. We are a romantic lot, aren't we?

I tried running once - all I got was winded. She had too big a head start on me. Hell, I didn't even know the race had begun and she was already rounding the first turn. Because I hadn't been paying enough attention to what was going on with her, I never really stood a shot. In the end, I was too much a part of the thing she needed to leave behind.

I learned from that to listen carefully for the gun and to work on preventing her sprint rather than trying to catch her later. So that's been the plan. It's worked for my beloved and I - we're celebrating 11 years next Tuesday.

I asked her your question BTW. Her answer: "Of course, I would; but you wouldn't make me."

valcn

After saying goodnight to who I thought was 'The One' after dinner one night, I got about a mile from her house and decided I needed to see if she would date me. I turned my car around and went to her courtyard gate. She came out in her stockinged feet and I asked her if we could date. See until then, I didn't even know if she was gay or not. We were just hanging out and having fun.

Well, she said she'd think about it... That was eight years ago and she still is very much the one. I'd run anywhere with her, for her, to her...

I have done my fair share of running metaphorically most of the time, and actually some of the time. I have gone to every landscaper in town to find rare rose bushes, driven half way across the country for one night with a lover. I in short I am a hopeless romantic. That being said it is the little things that get to me the most though. The grand gestures sometimes seem to much, seem a bit hollow. Like we all have been watching Doctor Zhivago and Gone with the Wind a little to much. That by shaking our little fists in the air we can somehow exert our will and make everything turn out the way we in vision it in all its Technicolor glory.

Last week my partner grace and I were going through a rough patch. I was a mess, alone at home crying to my cat about how grace was being so ridiculous (not the words I used with the cat) When she asked me why I was so angry I replied “You need to come to your senses and realize how wonderful I am and act accordingly” She chucked and told me that I was adorable when I was angry and that she needed one more day to herself to get her head in the right place. So I told her to take her day. The next evening I was in my old tee shirt laying in bed with my heating pad muttering to myself and the cat about how she better be using her day to miss me like crazy and realize that she could not live without me. While I was busy wallowing and thinking about how many boxes it would take to remove all her belongings from my house I heard a car door outside. She comes and finds me trying not to look like I had been pouting in bed and crying for three days. She just asked me if I was hungry and I said…yes (even though I had just had some ice cream before I retired to bed to pout) She had brought me boneless hot wings that I had been craving for weeks. Grace went out of her way to drive almost an hour to my house then an extra twenty to go get the wings for me. She didn’t pledge her undying love or get down on one knee or even beg for my forgiveness, She just said that I was where she wanted to be and that was that. Sometimes hot wings make all the difference, or maybe it was that she was acting accordingly. I think it was the hot wings though.

i once ran out on my bare feet after my girlfriend at the time when we were breaking up. she was terribly upset, as was i. she grabbed her carkeys and walked out wretched. i was left standing, bewildered. but when i 'recovered' after a good minute. i didn't want to hurt her, nor her getting hurt by driving a car so upset. and so i ran out. on my bare feet through the streets of atlanta, after her car. i do agree with kat_edw that love sometimes is an impuls. and even though it didn't work out in the end. she still is grateful for that time that i ran after her. an action that spoke louder than the words uttered before.

I did run toward the airplane once. She got on the plane and was going home to Australia. I ran down the long hall toward the plane and had the stewardess get her. We hugged and kissed and cried. It was over the top, but she was my other half and leaving for her home in Australia to continue her career. We didn't see each other for 9 years after that. Damn we had a lot of tears to shed then, and a lot of kisses to share. But, we finally got to finish it, get some "closure".

Zina, I've got three pairs of Asics - I'm ready. Surely a power walk would do, huh? Great piece - I am also a hopeless romantic. Thanks for the flick idea - I'll give it a try.....and there's nothing wrong with liking Willie! Great to have you on the OC blogs!

Nothing but love

Tex

Oh i completely agree,

If a person is not willing to run for you their love is questionable at the least. Ive ran for my girlfriend many times, as has she for me. She can make me run from one town to the next in 10 minutes.
Its necessary, and of course the issue is more about whether they need to run for you or want to. I know if my girl was walking away from me id be running for my life, not just to make her happy. Id be running to catch my breath, my life, my heart and everything else that keeps me alive. To not run would be a more foolish choice, for many reasons.
I do believe love is shown not just with words but with actions, and not the kind of actions you need to ask for, but the kind that feel unavoidable. Ones that come as naturally as looking in a persons eyes while talking to them. Ones which dont even need to be considered but are reserved the moment an issue arises.

Love is not just a feeling, its an impulse. Dont you think?

I think you make a lot of sense, and i hope you do find someone who will drop everything for you, if you havent already.

I really enjoyed reading this. Thank you