Love is All You Need

I want to retract a statement I made in a blog last week. Love is not overrated. To agree with the old cliches, love conquers all... love makes the world go 'round. It's everything! You can't kill it or make it go away when its there and you certainly can't create it when its not there. It is something to be respected and cherished. As the Beatles say, "All You Need is Love." Right, Dave?

Different people make different decisions, at different times, for different reasons. People make decisions to follow their dreams and passions. Some people are finance driven, some people a career driven... I am love driven. My biggest dream is not have a job that I love and make lots of money doing it. My biggest dream is finding someone that I love and can't live without and knowing that he feels the same way about me. I make decisions for my life that will lead me in that direction.

In fact, not long ago, I was called and asked to apply for a job in Birmingham with a ad agency. It was a job that I would have loved to do and probably would have paid considerably well. I chose not to even try for the job, although Jason was extremely supportive of me going for it, because I prefered to stay in Montgomery and sleep in the same bed with him every night. He has a few years of school left and I chose to stay with the man that I loved. Now, some of you may say that I made a mistake. Especially considering that Jason and I broke up 3 or 4 months later and I could potentially have been working a great job in Birmingham. But, I disagree. Those 3 or 4 months were some of the best times of my life and I wouldn't have traded a moment of it for the world, much less a good job or better pay. I made the decision that would make me the happiest at the time and I don't regret it.

I am in no way knocking people that don't live that way. If your big dream is to be involved in whatever industry it is that you are passionate about... then by all means, make the decisions that will take you closer and closer to that dream. It's an exciting life to travel the world and meet new and interesting people. I don't see anything wrong with that. I simple say... I am not that dedicated to any job and never will be. If the person I love is content moving around the country with me to follow a career, then I might consider it. I full respect for the people that do. What kind of person would I be if I said that our brave military men who are overseas fighting for out country don't love their spouses because they willingly enlisted in the army or marines? I have complete respect for them and the women that stay home praying everynight for their safe return. I will never be one of those women. I watched my mother struggle through several years of my father being overseas when I was young. We also moved almost every year and it was difficult for my siblings and I to make solid friendships that would last longer than a year. I don't want that for my spouse or for my children. I want to settle in one place (not necessarily here) and start a family and establish a sense of stability and community there. I want a home. And I do realize that I am different in this way than most people. But this is the person that I have developed into from my past experiences in life.

Some people seem to be sensitive about the decisions they make. Maybe they are insecure about it themselves and that is why they get defensive easily? Maybe the integrity of their decision has been questioned before? But certainly not by me. I do not jusdge others and their decisions. And regardless of what someone may think or say, I have had nothing negative to say to anyone about others decisions... but merely describe my own passions. I do my best to be a friend and to support others and their decisions and sometimes that becomes difficult when you feel stuck in the middle between two friends. I don't feel that I should defend any of my actions of the last few months because I have done nothing wrong. I have nothing to hide. I am good person, and contrary to recent accusation... I am not vindictive or conniving. I also understand that some people are jaded by fake people in their past who pretend to be your friend, yet are secretly stabbing you in the back. I am not one of those people. And anyone who believes that I am that sort of perons was probably never a real friend to begin with. I hate to toss in the towel on what I thought was a good friendship, but I am extremely offended by the accusations that have been made against me. It's funny how time and distance can change a persons perspective. Maybe when the distance is no longer there, things will change and that person will realize that I am just the same person I was when they left. No different. Maybe they won't? But for now, I am not concerned. The people who really care about me are still here and know the truth. And at this point, that is all that matters to me.