Love is Blindness and We're Trying to See

Last I checked, the current season is fall.  Now I could be mistaken, but judging by my Facebook feed, it's currently the season of love too.  Within the last week alone I've seen multiple articles talking about love or marriage--one saying marriage isn't for you, one was a priest's rebuttal (which I currently can't find), and another was about the girls guys should go after.

The articles I've seen have created a lot of buzz, sharing, and commenting. People genuinely think these articles hold the answers (or at least tangible answers). What's been most interesting to me is how young these knowledge-droppers are.  It's amazing the knowledge they've amassed in such a little time. From their years of experience, they have qualitative knowledge to bequeath to the mass.  Sarcasm aside, the mass is listening.

Maybe the fact the this younger generation blogs more frequently sends these articles viral, but it seems to me we are desperate for a youthful voice to show us the way.  We want to know that life is going to turn out alright and our fears can be calmed.  I find it slightly ironic, though, that this particular guy has been acclaimed for his insight yet his insight was discovered via his father. Anywho...

For me, the information spread has been fascinating, but obvious.  Almost too obvious.  We are looking for a utopia that simply doesn't exist. We want to find that unlocks the impenetrable gate.  It's this innate desire that keeps us striving towards a dream yet slows our reality--we want perfection.  It's like we're on a journey to quench our insatiable thirst for the end all be all answer.

Life hasn't, doesn't, and will never work like that. What works for one couple isn't guaranteed to work on another.  A "HEY THIS HERE IS HOW TO ABSOLUTELY HAVE A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE" guide doesn't exist.  Theoretically, yes, I'm sure a perfect formula may exist, but theory and practicality are two very separate existences.  People consume droves of self-help books daily; people mindlessly follow leaders who claim to hold the solutions to their everyday struggles; people endlessly hope that the next solution will be the medicine that cures their disease (metaphorically).  Note the surplus of quantity and disregard for true quality.

Reality check: If such a thing existed, we wouldn't have so many answers percolating and so many uncertainties remaining.  If said solutions existed, they'd be going viral by now.  Each person's snowflake existence makes him or her impervious to ubiquity. It's romantic and fantastic to believe someone has it right, but it's equally foolish to live under the pretense that his or her footsteps have marked your path.

Maybe the concept of marriage can be simplified to the notion of bettering your partner, or maybe even centering yourself around God; however, as I've said before, how can you make such a matter of fact claim when so much variety and mercuriality exists in the practice of marriage or life in general for that matter?  How can we say, other than stemming from our subjective pride, that our practice is the right practice? How can we preach to our peers when we've so many failures of our own? But, then again, how can I opine in this blog and then expect you to consider my words when I'm trying to disprove others' preachiness? There in lies the question that keeps life so interesting: What should I believe?

I'm such an enigmatic person.  I find myself to be so cynical at times while simultaneously searching for  optimistic conclusions.  I guess, in this case, I'm just warning that though our peers or elders might have great stories, they aren't the stars of our plot.

I believe, momentarily, that we are puzzle pieces looking to find the piece that fits. Not every piece will fit with us, but more than one connecting piece exists--it's our journey to find the piece the fits best, which will allow us to continue solving the puzzle.

I'm still searching.