Romance from the West Coast

The vicissitudes of love--certainly one of the most common topics in human experience. Nearly every great story (and lately, the lowest of reality TV shows) refers to the human experience of love in all its elation and pathos. Like everyone else, I had experienced love. The many bright and happy moments therein could not conceal the aura of disappointment that I had no lover with whom share life. But one chance encounter is transforming. And that is the magic of love. The only difference between beauty and dreariness, happiness and melancholy, satisfaction and emptiness is this four letter word, small and banal to be sure but so large and important that it dominates our experience like nothing else.

In the midst of such a transformation, I wrote:

California is...interesting. It is rugged and pretty, even stunning. But there is a jaded nature about society here. It seems so sad that a people can spend so much time worrying about how they look and so much more time making themselves a certain way, and yet get so little enjoyment out of it. It's like they've all resigned themselves to the fact that they're as happy as they'll every be in their shallow unambitious world.

Remember when I told you that there was something jaded and shallow about living here? Yeah, well after spending all Friday sailing the blue Pacific and all Saturday on the beach(and getting a wicked farmer's tan in the bargain) I changed my mind. Between the company, the volleyball, the football, the swimming (in COLDwater), and the sunlight I felt sudden sympathy with all those young men who passed through here in World War II, fell in love, and came back to settle after the war. Saturday evening after leaving the beach I spent some time inthe apartment of some Notre Dame friends (both PLS majors like me) discussing books and enjoying what I'm convinced is a transitory piece of paradise. California seduces with beautiful scenery and beautiful people, and that may be all the true soul of the place, but co-existing alongside it are good people eager to live a happy life and ready to fully enjoy the weather, recreation, scenery, and simple unfettered lifestyle. You could say in some way that what previously hindered my enjoyment of California was its conspicuous glitz and shallow ambition. Too rarely did I ignore those things enough to appreciate the good people and opportunities for happiness here. Really, I needed to be able to share this place and it's wonders with some of those good people

As I drove on to base today, the sun suddenly rose over the scrub hills of east Miramar and smote the buildings and my mirror, momentarily blinding me. It was a beautiful sunrise, gleaming golden between soft layers of autumn clouds over the coastland. It was appropriate because after this weekend our relationship feels even more like a beginning.

I married this girl, and the transformation continues. When you know, you know.