In Haste: Girl with a Pearl Earring

 

What does love mean? 

What the hell is it, anyway?

Tell me.





Vermeer and the Pearl Earring Girl have some sort of bond. It is at once known, and yet dually and equally ineffable. Now, the thing exists, this attraction, but the painter is betrothed to another -- somewhat happily even. What happens next? Well, Roger Ebert had this commentary to add to the situation,

"Sometimes two people will regard each other over a gulf too wide to ever be bridged, and know immediately what could have happened, and that it never will. That is essentially the message of Girl with a Pearl Earring."

 And now my hopeless-romantic side rears its ugly head in revolt to this filthy sentiment. It declares!, "But what could possibly be stronger than love! From this, the world was made over by God, and was once redeemed, and will someday be refreshed, all because the world is loved by its Maker. Surely this talk of impregnable gulfs is a monstrous display of lack of faith, says I, says I!" Unfortunately, right about as I get to that final 'says I', the voice of C.S. Lewis comes whispering in. I remember his book, Four Loves, and how it is true that we cannot love too much, but we can love disproportionately so. If we love others more than God, then we have made a demon out of this natural phenomenon. Perhaps such demons visualize themselves as gulfs...

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This isn't fair, but I'm posting it anyway. I recently stumbled over this apparent love-test:

WHAT EACH KISS MEANS:
- Kiss on the Forehead: We're cute together.
- Kiss on the Cheek: We're friends.
- Kiss on the Hand: I adore you.
- Kiss on the Neck: I want you, now.
- Kiss on the Shoulder: Your perfect.
- Kiss on the Lips: I LOVE YOU...

WHAT EACH GESTURE MEANS:
- Holding Hands: We definitely like each other.
- Holding you tight pressed against each other: I want you.
- Looking into each other's Eyes: I like you, for who you are.
- Playing with Hair: Let's fool around.
- Arms around the Waist: I like you too much to let go.
- Laughing while Kissing: I am completely comfortable with you.

ADVICE:
- If you were thinking about someone while reading this, you're definitely
in Love.

REQUIREMENTS:
- Add this to ur favorites after reading!!
Or you will have a bad year of Relationships.

IF YOU (LIKE), (LOVE), OR (MISS) SOMEONE RIGHT NOW:
- and can't get them out of your head.
- then add this to ur favorites within One Minute and Whoever you are missing
will surprise you.

 

See!!??! It's so simple! I never knew how easy it is! Wowzer, what have I been doing my whole life without this handy-dandy guide? Oh, and thank heavens I reposted this on this blog, so now I know all my lovely dreams will come true this year. Huzzah!

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To conclude on a more charitable note, I am quite fond of this quote attributed to F. Scott Fitzgerald, probably because it tells me that love is the stimulus of story, and that's a very sweet fragrance to inhale at any point in life.

I love her and it is the beginning of everything.