Lightning Love

Saturday, I was cruising home from letting the dog out at the gf’s. I had the top down on the convertible, wind thru my hair and all that, and my favorite Bruce Springsteen song came on:

Tunnel of Love

I am back in time flying down South River Road near [midwest university] in my ’81 coupe Mustang. Windows are down, Marlboro dangling and (the first) love of my life is riding shotgun.

I was in love, and it was “Lightning Love”. "What is that?" you say. Some people call it “Head-over-Heels”. Eric Clapton calls it “Bad Love”. Other sayings for it are Obsession or Infatuation. I like to call it "Lightning Love" because lightning rarely strikes twice and if it does – watch out!

Hopefully, you all know what this is. That first love that you would do anything for. I mean, ANYTHING short of committing murder. (Fortunately and hopefully, for most of us). This is the “no hold bars” love. Rarely, do these loves last. They come in short bursts of time – and it’s a good thing, too, because I doubt if the body and mind could handle it for very long. Craziness and physical breakdown could ensue. Everyone has had this type of love and (I hope) remembers it well and chocks it up to experience well earned and learned from.

It’s because of these experiences one can go on and lead (hopefully) long-lasting and real love relationships that are based on trust, respect and commitment. Although, some of us cannot see the forest through the trees.

Years ago a friend of mine was going through this type of love. I recognized it because I had recently gotten over my Lightning Love. (Yes, some of us do get over these types of love and lead productive lives.) Of course, one can never convince a friend to realize this while it’s happening to them. (Remember that!) I, mistakenly, tried to and what transpired was a year of silence and almost loosing our friendship. I learned this lesson the hard way. Fortunately, the friendship picked up where it left off (only after my friend and Lightning Love broke up, of course) and it was as if this “kink” in time never existed.

If this happens to you my advice is this: Let it run its course! Then, when your friend falls over from craziness, heart palpitations and/or a broken heart, pick them up, brush them off and give them any alcoholic beverage available.

The reason I am writing all this is to REMIND myself of my own good advice learned the hard way because years later my friend is “going back” to her Lightning Love.

(a moment of silence on my part to mentally scream "AAAAAAAHHHH" in my head and think about all those times in the past my friend spoke to me about how bad this relationship was for her and glad she got out of it)

Yeah, lightning definitely has struck my friend twice and I am worried. I hope it doesn’t get her this time.