Love 'Em All

 When you want to hurry something, that means you no longer care about  it and want to get on to other things.  Robert Pirsig

I ran into a couple of guys from the Malcontents meeting downtown yesterday.  I'd put them in the category of Ringleaders.  One of them made an overtly political comment almost immediately and certainly unbidden.  I pretended I was on the phone.  Actually, I was listening to some Van Halen.  I moved on.  I also ran into a couple that are Malcontent's regulars.  I'd put them in the Just Going Along and Ignoring Uncomfortable Facts category.  They seemed sort of tentative around me and the woman made a comment about "praying during the meeting this morning," intimating that it wasn't a great meeting.  I'm assuming that my poorly concealed and overtly dismissive attitude about the Malcontents is common knowledge.  Fuck do I care?

Still love the couple - the dudes are a little tougher but I guess I love them, too.  Love is more than Valentine's Day and passion and giddy feelings of ecstasy.  Love that lasts, that stays with patience and strength, is the love that binds all of humanity.  It is what makes us smile at a stranger, it's what makes long-term friendships, it's what makes us feel pain, as well as joy.  Love is the connection that we have with every person in our lives.  It's what separates us from the animals.  Most of the animals, anyway - not the dog who lives next door.  That kind of affection is more pure than anything I feel for any human.