Fresh Ink

FRESH INK
-In the days of internet dating services and obsolete taboos, love is the ultimate luxury item.-


Too skinny, too fat, too tall, too short, too rich, too poor, too clingy, too distant. Have you ever wondered why we've become so picky when it comes to love? The answer's simple: Like a Louise Vuitto bag sitting enticingly in a Fifth Avenue window, a relationship becomes a luxury item--it's something we want but no longer need.


In days gone by, people hooked up for a number of reasons: financial security, shelter, social acceptance, access to chickens. Love seldom factored in. These days, women make their own cash, buy their own apartments and raise their own chickens (or buy eggs at the store). Men have also become self-sufficient, well-versed in the ancient arts of cooking, cleaning and ironing. And let's not forget the big 'S' -- always a motivating factor. People got married significantly younger in the days when sex out of wedlock equalled social leprosy. Today we can pretty much do what we want--have sex without love, love without sex, instigate a relationship or be the recepient of attention. Basically, we can afford to be picky and base our relationships on seemingly inate criteria...such as footwear.

And like shopping for a pair of Jimmy Choo slingbacks, entrepreneurs have capitalized on the search for love. Now in the comfort of our own homes we can shop online, view by category and/or religous affilations. We can determine our upfront if our next potential ex is looking for a relationship, something casual, or perhaps a threesome.

It's not that we are heartless or lack moral standards but our romantic relationships have taken on a different role from previous generations. High divorce rates are not an indication of lack of commitment or hardwork. They're a reflection of options. We don't need to be in an unhappy relationship to survive. Our relationships have become an addition to a favorite outfit, a way to release stress, a favorite pasttime enjoyed by all. That's not to say a good one is easy to find.

Love, like all nonessential luxury item, is often expensive and hard to find. You may end up on a waiting list for years or held back by circumstances beyond our control. But when you walk down the street with your imported Italian hanging stylishly on your arm, you'll be glad you waited. There is no accessory as becoming as love.

-Angela Gilltrap

She makes it sound like emotions dont fuck your brains. Like everything is systematic and formulated. Bullshit.

She's got a point somehow though.