I Care Not For Bungled Love

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Author’s note: So this one’s going to sound like a rant. It’s going to feel like a rant. It’s going to look like a rant. It’s even going to smell like a rant. I think it probably is a rant. Probably. Not sure.

Anyway, a bit of back story on this one. I accompanied an uncle to what would be a dinner meeting between him and possible business partners. This one conversation between two guys got a bit under my skin. One of the guys was complaining as to how ignorant his daughter was for falling in love with a guy of a different race. He called her disgraceful and said she had harmed her family’s reputation.

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It took a lot of will power to resist the urge of thwacking a plate on his slappy scalp. Instead, I wrote this piece that talks about finding love for the wrong reasons. Possibly a rant though. Maybe. Just Maybe.

Also, this piece is more enjoyable with Lily Allen’s song F*** You playing in the background. Trust me on this one.

I care not for your outdated standards of love. I care not for the constant promotion of racism towards others simply because their appearance and beliefs are not similar to yours; that simply does not add up. A person’s race is not and will never be a factor in how loyal, endearing and passionate he or she is as a partner. I care not that you cannot see through another individual’s color, sexual preference or physical appearance to know that passion and authenticity are priceless commodities in the modern age. A commodity that you do not even consider because in your mind, if other people can’t physically see its value, then what good is it.

I care not that the ideal partner you shove in our faces is “conservative” because a love like that prioritizes social standards, not sincerity and love. I care not that your basis for a “good” partner is measured by the amount of money said person has in the bank. I care not that you see more value in the prestige of their automobile, their handbags and glad rags, and their homes over who they are as individuals. I care not that you believe if a person does not follow certain gender standards then said person is not a real man, or is just a stuck up b*tch.

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I care not when you choose to value safety and acceptance over risk and genuineness when it comes to love. I care not that you choose to pursue an outlook of love that is not your own. An outlook that you owe yourself yet something you did not take the time or effort to build and explore, because you were so damn sure about definitions made by others. I care not for the big weddings that do not emphasize the beginning of a journey of two individuals, but showcase a flashy celebration to people who do not give a damn about the couple. I care not that you’re more focused on showing the world how happy you are as a couple, rather than building a strong and understanding relationship from the inside.

I care neither that you are incapable of setting aside your insecurities of being judged by other people to pursue a love that is both genuine and passionate, nor that you are unable to see that the authenticity of your relationship is a reflection of your authenticity as an individual. As the White Stripes song goes—you do not know what love is, you just do as you are told.

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Photo: Wikimedia/Shayan Sanyal