What We Talk about When We Talk about Love

I found it very interesting that this story about love was chosen for the class to read. The day after the assignment was given my friend and I found ourselves on the topic of love. My friend told me that I was the only person that replied, “I love you too”. “We were discussing why it was so hard to reply “I love you too” to a friend. To be honest, I always felt a little awkward whenever I replied with that famous saying. I started to wonder why that was. Could be because society only exploits a certain kind of love, physical and sexual? I do.

The media is everywhere. If a person were to simply turn on the television and see an ‘Axe’ commercial you would see a lonely guy with no one to love. But as soon as he cleanses himself with Axe, the women come flocking. But that is only a commercial; there are numerous amounts of television programs, novels, movies, magazine articles, and even theatrical productions that suggest the only type of love, physical/sexual. If a person constantly sees only this one type of love, you start to believe that is all there is. Then you might wonder to yourself, “Why can’t I have love like that? Who is going to give me love like that?” Then sooner or later the person will do anything to experience the love that the media has provided for them.

I think it’s a horrible sad reality but it’s the truth. The short story, “What We Talk about When We Talk about Love” did a great job of engaging the reader through different examples or stories of love. It made you think through a mind of an abuser and if love ever existed in his heart. The story spoke of long lasting love, past the physical love, but the love that comes from the heart and mind. This generation needs to know that there is more to love than the love the media portrays and this short story does a great job at helping the reader think through it.