The Republic of Heaven

I mean all kinds of love; filial, romantic, sexual and altruistic.

In your experience, what's it been like, if it's been there at all?
What do you think of it?
Is it something to be jealous of?
How many 'great loves' do you think someone has in a lifetime? (Stolen from Sex and the City)
Do you believe in love at first sight?
Friendship, then love?
Is blood thicker than water?
What the hell is puppy love?
Does Tanya need to shut the hell up?

Sorry, I'm in a lovey mood. Ignore the teenage girl.

Sorry, I'm in a lovey mood. Ignore the teenage girl.

That I can do, being at a college 90% female.

In your experience, what's it been like, if it's been there at all?

Like being very drunk, except better.

What do you think of it?

It's like life. It can be a complete butthole sometimes but I can't help being fond of it.

Is it something to be jealous of?

Many people are... I don't know if one should be jealous of it.

How many 'great loves' do you think someone has in a lifetime? (Stolen from Sex and the City)

Absolutely no idea... where do you draw the line?

Do you believe in love at first sight?

Naa. To be honest, I rekon that's just people thinking back 5 years before to when they met their wife and remembering that feeling of "mmm... going to talk to her", when in fact they could have said that about almost anyone they'd ever gone out with if they'd ended up going steady.

Friendship, then love?

I suppose it works better. But there's nothing wrong with the short term.

Is blood thicker than water?

Dunno. Probably

What the hell is puppy love?

Immoral and cruel

Does Tanya need to shut the hell up?

Bit late for that

Graham Norton (of all people), on Desert Island Discs yesterday had as one of his choices Janis Ian's At Seventeen. Which got me all wistful for the rest of the day because it was so much a part of my being seventeen. Teenage angst in a nutshell:

I learned the truth at seventeen
That love was meant for beauty queens
And high school girls with clear skinned smiles
Who married young and then retired

The Valentines I never knew
The Friday night charades of youth
Were spent on one more beautiful
At seventeen I learned the truth

And those of us with ravaged faces
Lacking in the social graces
Desperately remained at home
Inventing lovers on the phone
Who called to say come dance with me
And murmured vague obscenities
It isn't all it seems
At seventeen

Teenage angst, did I say? I still feel like that sometimes...

Nah, the ballard of Billie-Jo is the best example of teenage angst.

In your experience, what's it been like, if it's been there at all?

Love spat its chewing gum in my face.

What do you think of it?

It's an illusion, created by people to make money.

Is it something to be jealous of?

Absaloutly

How many 'great loves' do you think someone has in a lifetime?

As many as they care to look up on the internet.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

I didn't until I saw you, Tanya.

Friendship, then love?

Yes, not the other way round.

Is blood thicker than water?

It's denser.

What the hell is puppy love?

Bestial incest.

Does Tanya need to shut the hell up?

Yes

Sorry, I'm in a lovey mood. Ignore the teenage girl.

Will do.

Having got Janis Ian off my chest I suppose I'd better offer some answers to your questions. Seeing as I've been around the block more times than your average sraffie!

In your experience, what's it been like, if it's been there at all?

Great while it lasted, although all good things come to an end. But you never know what's around the next corner.

What do you think of it?

Warm, close, huggy. Makes you drop your barriers with your knickers and feel secure.

Is it something to be jealous of?

Nothing is ever worth being jealous of. Which doesn't mean that I haven't felt jealousy and I still do now and then. But love makes you do irrational things and being rational all the time is no fun.

How many 'great loves' do you think someone has in a lifetime? (Stolen from Sex and the City)

How long is a piece of string?

Do you believe in love at first sight?

I've certainly known lust at first sight. Generally whenever that's been the case it's ended in disaster.

Friendship, then love?

That happens too - although for me love has more often turned into great friendships.

Is blood thicker than water?

My relationships with my blood family are strained at best and in most cases are non-existent. Films, books, dramas and cultural artefacts in general that celebrate family loyalties cause me more anguish, distress and tears than anything else, I think.

What the hell is puppy love?

Something you grow out of, but that doesn't make it a bad thing.

Does Tanya need to shut the hell up?

No, we all Tanya and she is an important part of our lives.

Y'all don't have to stick to the questions posed, y'know.

I didn't - see my first post in this thread. It kinda says how I really feel. Love is for other people.

Well I am a complete pessimist, so:

"love? Illusions, Tanya. Vagaries of perception. The temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose, only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love."

Being in Love is great

I think it's as important that your partner is your best friend as well as your lover in a long term relationship. You need someone who'll pick you up when everything falls to pieces and make you laugh.

Sighs lovingly at the knowledge of having all this.

This thread has official won the Greatest Use of the Smiley Award.

I'm going to claim I'm too young, so I don't have to answer any questions.

I certainly believe in love, and that it is possible to love someone for the rest of your life. To me friendship is the basis of all the best relationships weather they be romantic or not, but that dosent mean you cant become friends as you become lovers if that makes sense. Blood is deffinatly thicker than water, who wouldnt risk their lives for someone they truly love? And puppy love is just confussing lust or a crush for love, not that it cant be as powerfull or painfull as the real thing.

Qu, I distictly remember you saying that before.

I remember a post from months and months ago about he was never going to settle down, get married or have children. Heard that tune before, and it always ends up the same.

Love is great....and a complete pain in the arse, espeically when you can't admit you are in love with someone. Ignore me, Im hormonal and depressed
By the way, I love the love smiley! *sigh*

Is blood thicker than water?

Yes, blood is thicker than water.

I've never known anything but familial love, since I believe that romantic love has to be returned as well as given. And it has to be, at least the best form, with someone you know deeply and preferably have known for a long time. Friendship is a must...
One-sided pseudo-love, as close to true romantic love as I've ever experienced, is frustrating and depressing, but still it's something that I can't leave behind. Damn human nature. I can't help but think, though, if I spend so much time thinking about just a shadow of true love, the real version must be better than I can imagine.
OK, I'm getting too -y myself. I'll shut up now.

Well I am a complete pessimist, so:

"love? Illusions, Tanya. Vagaries of perception. The temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose, only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love."

What about the brief existence of a human mind, a century at most, and the fact that only it could think that love was eternal.