A One Week Test

Going back to the time I was about 15 years old, I have felt what I would consider true love for several guys. True love is different when compared to infatuation. Infatuation is more a physical attractive. Infatuation is the work of hormones. Love is the work of the mind, of the psyche.

There are some people, guys specifically, that I will be in tune with, and some that I will not. I have never met anyone of any gender who is not capable of irritating me at least slightly from time to time.

There have been a few guys in my life that after several months in a relationship, after the lust and passion began to ebb, I nevertheless started wondering how I could live without them. These are the guys who are not overbearing, they are calming, and they are willing to listen to my silliness. My brain will give a guy extra points if he occasionally gives spontaneous back rubs or waits for me without complaint as I put on make-up. There are no two guys who have been in my life who I have felt the same level of fondness.

Last week Terry, my boyfriend, and I went on a little adventure into the Adirondacks. Time-wise, it was our first trip together of any length. I knew it was going to be a test, whether I thought of it that way or not. Terry has many characteristics that I cherish, but there are a few things about him that rub me the wrong way. One is that he tends to get a little macho on occasion. That is not my style.

On our trip, we stopped at a large, outdoor store. Terry wanted to make a purchase. Did he buy a gun? Did he buy some knife? The answer to both of those questions is no. He bought a pair of binoculars so he could help his girlfriend/bird watcher spot birds up in the trees.
  
Our trip is now over and if someone were to give me a multiple choice question asking to describe my feelings for Terry in a single word, I would select love over fondness or like. Truth is; I have recently wondered how I could live without him. I guess I can put up with a little bit of bravado, after all, he is putting up with a goofy bird watcher. I think we both passed the test.