At First Sight

Everyone is so caught up with the idea of love at first sight. To look at a person for the first time and know, within the next few seconds, that he or she is The One. To just look that person in the eyes and feel electricity fizzle in the air. To have your heart beat so wildly with just the sight of his or her smile. To feel, with certainty, that you two were meant for each other. All these, with just a few seconds of shared look. This is love at first sight.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if it were that easy? To not have to go through the pain of lost and misplaced love. To not have to risk having your heart broken for just the chance at having what so many desire- true love. To be able to know whether he or she is your soul mate or not without having to go through the roller coaster of a relationship. To not have to waste time with the wrong person. To just look and know.

I never believed in love at first sight. It was ridiculous. I mean, if it was real, then why are there so many broken hearts and damaged souls in the world? I didn't believe. So, it came after me and showed me. It is real. To a point, at least.

I don't think it happens to everyone. But there comes a time when you meet someone and you feel this undeniably strong attraction towards him or her. Your heart beats faster than normal. You have this feeling in your gut that just tells you that this person is someone important. And, you start to think that he or she is The One. And, you believe. That was love at first sight. Or so you thought. But, is it really?

We all live our lives with an idea of who we want to be with, who we want to spend the rest of our lives with. We paint a picture in our heads. We make a list of attributes. We imagine. We day dream. We form an image. And, we hold on to that image. And, we use that image. Subconsciously, we end up comparing every potential interest we meet to that image we have in our heads. Times come when we meet someone who matches this image we have. In about eight seconds, we're so sure we're looking at The One. So sure that we're in love. Because, what more could it be than love at first sight?

Love is a strong word. Too strong to be taken lightly as is so commonly done in the notion of love at first sight. So, no. That is not love. But the attraction is there -too strong to be called nothing yet to flimsy to be called love. So we go with like. Like at first sight.