Thursday, October 04, 2007

Love, love, lovE, LOVE


Last night I watched the show I had most anticipated this season: "Pushing Daisies". If you want a summary about the show follow the link as I am pretty atrocious at summarizing (see post about dreams below as evidence). What I can tell you is that I love the luscious, Technicolor look of the show reminiscent to the saturated intensity found in movies like "Nanny McPhee" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". There is a sense you are watching a slightly morbid children's fairy tale which is reinforced by the voice of the narrator (Jim Dale who is the voice for all of the Harry Potter audio books here in the States).

The hero, Ned, is a pie maker with special powers and so very isolated from the world of the living. The heroine, Chuck (aka Charlotte Charles) was Ned's childhood sweetheart (only sweetheart for what I can tell) whom he brought back from the dead in order to solve her murder. There are several other interesting supporting characters. The love story at the heart of the show is sweet and tragic as they can never touch and I think we all wonder (or at least those who watched the show) how they will express their affection without contact. As on critic said, this show is going to explore aspects of love not often touched upon (no pun intended) and perhaps even the nature of love.

I am always curious about love (of all types, but for purposes of this post the romantic variety) the way only a person who hasn't experienced the much lauded emotion can be. I have seen friends and family in love, I have heard the tales of love from friends and family and I have witnessed the erosion of love. Love is as unique as those that experience it. Sometimes the love is selfish or self-serving. Sometimes the love is selfless. Sometimes is seems surprising. Sometimes it seems inevitable in hindsight. Sometimes love is soft and gentle like pale sunshine on a spring day. Sometimes love is harsh and powerful. Sometimes love is nourishing. Sometimes love is harrowing. Sometimes love is affirming. Sometimes love is eternal. Sometimes love is temporary. Sometimes love is without limits. Sometimes love is conditional. Sometimes love is abrasive. Sometimes love is a balm. Sometimes love is suffocating. Sometimes love is freeing. Sometimes love is safe. Sometimes love is dangerous.

Is it little wonder everyone can write so much about such a many-faceted emotion? Is it little wonder that people remain ever fascinated? I have thought long and hard about love because I want to write about it (and if I am honest would like to experience at least once, although I am no good with emotion). How can someone who has never experienced love write about it? Since love is so very different for everyone would it matter if I experienced it when I have to ascribe it to characters that aren't even remotely me? I still have to imagine how a particular character of a certain disposition, experiences, time and place would feel and express love. For anyone who thinks writing a romance of depth, sensitivity and feeling is easy, think again. A few historical romance genre authors surpass others in their ability: Judith Ivory (also known as Judy Cuevas), Laura Kinsale and Patricia Gaffney (she no longer writes historical romance, but her Wyckerley Trilogy is excellent) to name a few.

Asking about love can meet with jubilant and effusive talk, silence or a rant. I always wish to ask about it, to learn how love is for that particular person, but love is personal and some people don't want to discuss it. I wonder if there is a site dedicated to sharing stories about love? That would be fascinating....

By the way, the image found above is of a card I am sending one of my uncles for his birthday. It is a bit feminine, yet I think he will appreciate it nonetheless. I used extra bits I had on my table from making my orange artist trading cards earlier this week and since my uncle likes blue I went with blue and orange. I always wonder what the woman is thinking with her sweet smile...perhaps she is remembering her first kiss or dreaming about who she will love? Then again maybe she is thinking about running through the meadow or dancing or doing sums or she solved a riddle....

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love...is it a true mystery? You so wonderfully asked many questions and posed some questions yourself. I agree with you that love is very personal and each person will handle it in there own way. But I argue that real love is felt in so many ways by everyone.

From people I have talked to about it and from the limited research I have done along with my own feeling on the subject. So many describe similar feelings, there mouth going dry as they look over to see the person they love, the way there heart seems to speed up, slight sweat forms, the mind can't seem to make the mouth put 2 words together and the feeling of nothing else mattering in the world at that moment in time.All one can think about is how powerful they feel as they see that person that they would die for, that they would give there open heart, mind, body and soul to.

None truly understand what there body and mind is going through as far as it was for at least me. All one knows from what I can gather it that the feeling they are feeling and living is the strongest most wonderful feeling they ever have felt here on earth.

Have you ever thought about what two people that are in the deepest of love are thinking when they grab the other and lay a long wet kiss on them? The way the body shakes from this feeling at this one moment in time as they are as close as 2 humans can get on this earth.There hearts start to beat as one, a drop of sweat beads up and falls to the ground, they embrace and the kiss gets deeper and deeper.There heart beats faster and faster. That feeling when nothing else matters. Your mind is not thinking of anything but that one moment in time your sharing with that very special person.All you know is you never ever want that to end.No a kiss is not love, love is love the kiss is just away for people in love to help share there very special bond on this earth for when they have that moment in time together forever.

It is the only thing that makes one truly think they can take on the world by themself and win, for they found somone that wants to be with them for the rest of there life on earth.

I hope everyone gets a chance to feel just how powerful a 4 letter word can be and how that drives you with such ease.

Just imagine every happy feeling that you can think of, remember all the happy times you have had in life and then multiply that by a million and you might just get a little closer to understanding what this 4 letter word is all about.

That ATC for your uncle, looks so beautiful. If he doesn't love it( which we know he will) then send it to me as I sure do.

Thanks for another great blog Miss texas.

lana said...

Shay,
What an intuitive post! For someone who says she hasn't experienced love, you seem to have grasped it truly. I think what is so intriging about love is the fact that it changes and evolves over time. Sometimes it becomes stronger, and in some cases it becomes weaker. As we get older, love changes too. I think the love we feel for a partner is so much different than the love we feel for our children. When you do find love Shay, I think you will be so successful at it. It is work though, and it doesn't come easily. Love, I feel, is a work in process that needs to be nurtured. The trick is wanting to nurture it!