L - O - V - E

This can't be love
Because I feel so well!
No sobs, no sorrows, no sighs.
This can't be love,
I get no dizzy spells.
My head is not in the skies.
My heart does not stand still,
Just hear it beat!
This is too sweet
To be love!
-Rodgers & Hart

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and for single folks it can be the most wretched holiday of the year. All the flowers & stuffed animals with hearts & giant sappy cards & boxes of chocolate & jewelry--all meant for everybody but you. Even the hardware store is showcasing Valentine presents. As Snoopy would say,


The longer you're single, the more you come to appreciate your friends & family and start celebrating them on V-Day. They're usually more deserving of the attention then a boyfriend or girlfriend, and it helps you walk past the shop windows without feeling queasy.

This year's going to be different for me, though, because I'm in love. You heard me: love love love love love. There's a bounce in my step, there's a smile on my face, there's a warm, mushy feeling in my heart. I can feel myself glowing. And if you pass by me on the street, you might just hear me say, "I love you," out loud to... nobody.

That's right, I've finally cracked. I wander the streets of Telluride and Norwood muttering to myself. Actually, it turns out that I'm saying, "I love you," to the mountains & sky & trees & river. I'm in love with a place--this place. I want to twirl around on the mountaintop like Maria Von Trapp.
I want to blow kisses at the peaks. I want to hug the bear who ran in front of my car, even though it scared the crap out of me. I want to lavish treats on the elk who pooped on my lawn, even though it forced me to do some shoveling.

I sound like I've crossed over the reality line into Broadway Musical Nirvana, don't I? Unbelievably saccharin, isn't it? Well, you know what? I don't care because I'm in L-O-V-E. So just suck it up and join me in celebrating this Valentine's Day by loving a mountain or a beach or lake or a cluster of stars or a grove of trees or a rock. You may be surprised at how good it makes you feel!

Love is...
...ice skating with a bright blue sky above you
...seeing the entire Milky Way twinkling
...considering 10 cars to be a "traffic jam"
...never knowing what you're going to hear next on the radio
...watching snow fall gently outside your window
...pro-skier friends sticking by you on the easy trails
...garland twining up the street lamps at Christmas time
...strangers who say "hello" with a genuine smile
...wading through snow in your brand new black & pink snow boots
...a sun-drenched bench on Main Street
...New Year's Eve in front of the Courthouse
...a top-notch library with late hours, cool events, and great staff
...leaving your car and home unlocked without anxiety
...no fast food for 50 miles
...local business proprietors who invite you to spend Christmas with their family
...an office kitty (even if she does have bad breath)
...folks who help you push your car out of the snow
...nothing but independent bookstores and coffee shops
...good neighbors
...Young People's Theater
...friendly dogs on every block
...bus rides that only cost $1 and make special stops for you
...a crystal-clear winding river
...a small town that raises more money for AIDS Education than most major cities
...big pink houses
...alpenglow
...Bear Creek Falls
...some of the world's best musicians playing in your town park
...a big porch with a rocking chair
...red cliffs covered with green pines and white snow
...watching movies at The Nugget



(Sound of Music "photo" courtesy of Jim Williams)