I have heard it said that everyone can be bought. That people are a dime a dozen, and a thought is only worth a penny. We buy labour and advice. We can purchase the machinery of our destruction as well as the devices of our desire. Ultimately, we ask ourselves, can we buy love?
A friend once told me, a puppy is love in a furcoat. Puppies are bought and sold the entire world over. They are loved and happy. They lead productive lives. They work and contribute to the community. Aside from leaving a mess on occasion, they are good neighbours. Are they bought and sold?
A man can buy the ride of his dreams: fully upholstered, fully appointed, fully pimped out. He can treasure that car and fret and fawn over every part, bolt, and wingnut. He can wax upon it. Work it into a lather. He can own it until his dying day. Is it only about registration and VIN numbers?
Samuel Clemens wrote, "As an example to others, and not that I care for moderation myself, it has always been my rule never to smoke when asleep and never to refrain when awake." These are the words of a man in love. Not just a habitual user, but a man with a passion for his endeavour. His waking moments alight with a cleansing fume that clears away the smoke and mirrors. A caprice? An affair? A courtship? For the price of a nickel, was this how he knew satisfaction?
Can you direct me to the tobacconist? I am suffering from a lack of love.
Perhaps a hobby is what I need? Golf? Is there a course that would billow my sails? What would cause me to leave the comfort of my plush seat and stroll along the greens in search of a ball? Do I want to play it rough? What is the lure of that damn hole? Eighteen is the legal limit for the game. Would I cheat just to impress my friends with my scores? Can I love the constant questioning? Will my drive prove to be sufficient?
Sigh
It seems love is so common it can practically be purchased anywhere you roam. Love is packaged and sold. Love is marketed and exchanged. Love is bartered and bargained. There is no doubt love is for sale. Love CAN be bought; however, TRUE love chooses to stay.
Dabuoy
