periodically during breaks i sit down with two of my coworkers.
i forget what prompted the conversation,
but i told one of my coworkers i could tell he had never been in love before.
he asked, "how do you know if i've never said so?"
i explained it overconfidently,
"well, you've told us before when things start to get serious, you start to pull back. i think, if you've experienced love before, you wouldn't be so afraid to feel it again. but also, if you've experienced it and lost it, i think it would show in your perspectives on life, loss, and relationships."
even though i was right about him, i was probably projecting a little.
maybe never experiencing love "for real" is what keeps me open to it. and for someone else, maybe the pain of losing it is enough reason to not want it anymore.
that could never be me—
i'm not scared to get hurt if things fall through again;
i just want a love that's worth the potential heartbreak.
i don't want fear to hold me back from experiencing this thing called "love."