Wednesday, July 13, 2016

When It Is Over we'll always have Paris!



"We'll always have Paris." Rick said to Ilsa in that great motion picture called "Casablanca". They were saying goodbye for the last time and they knew that their love had to be only memories because life had taken over and in it's crazy way planned the ending to their relationship not only for the moment but for all time. Their love might have survived but they had to go their separate ways.



Other loves that end aren't so lucky to have retained that fervor, that want, that desire of the first meeting. Other loves end with the worst feelings. They participants might have had "Paris" but now they don't even want to think of it because the love affair ended badly and hate or extreme dislike has replaced the love that was there at one time.


There are other love affairs that end without the fervor, without the hate. These love affairs end perhaps in really the worst way to end a relationship. They end in a lukewarm feeling one for the other. Lukewarm is really a very disappointing way to exist as it is devoid of feeling and it is just "blah". Jesus said in "Revelations",  "Be hot or cold but lukewarm and I will vomit you out of my mouth!".


An attraction that started out so high in attraction that hours were spent just talking, a touch could spark feelings of desire, a kiss might make ones head spin. All slowly slips into an aversion of talking for what ever reason, an embrace may be days apart but no one even notices. Absences over night seemed like an eternity now weeks could go by and perhaps a feeling of freedom replaces the void the absence of one night brought. Feeling comfortable and proud being seen together suddenly isn't the same as he might be a bit out of shape or even just plain fat. Funny but that was never noticed before.


We see this type of thing develop between couples who have been together for some time, becoming complacent. Vacations apart are just as enjoyable, maybe even more so, than vacations together. Many will stay together till death but some will find other venues to satisfy the joy of living. But this type of thing doesn't just occur between old lovers it happens to young lovers also. Perhaps the first rush of attraction was infatuation, perhaps love followed, but very soon something, "something", is missing and love cools.



Many loves never end and those that experience that wonderful moment that can live for fifty years or more are very fortunate people. Everyone should be able to have that, a lover who doesn't have to parse their words or choose the time to speak; a trust that is built up in the time spent holding each other through love , through the rough times and good times. If separate vacations were taken one was always missed even as the other might be enjoy themselves. And when the time comes that they are separated until they meet again in Eternity, they shall always have Paris.







Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Billie Holiday's "All Or Nothing At All"




Billie Holiday was one of the greatest singers of plaintive music. Her interpretation of these type of bluesy songs came from a personal soul searing life dating to her childhood where she was abandoned by both parents, to working in a brothel as a teenager to a drug filled adulthood. So when she sang songs such as "All Or Nothing At All" one heard her soul crying out from personal experiences. The lyrics are following but I invite the reader to go to uTube and experience the joy of listening to a great artist pour out her heartache for a love affair that couldn't survive on half a love:


All or nothing at all
Half a love never appealed to me
If your heart never could yield to me
Then I'd rather have nothing at all
All or nothing at all
If it's love there is no in between
Why begin, then cry
For something that might have been
No, I rather have nothing at all
But please, don't bring your lips so close to my cheek
Don't smile or I'll be lost beyond recall the kiss in your eyes
The touch of your hand makes me weak
And my heart may grow dizzy and fall
And if I fell under the spell of your call
I would be caught in the undertow
So you see, I've got to say no, no
All or nothing at all
All or nothing at all
Half love never appealed to me
If your heart never could yield to me
Then I'd rather have nothing at all
All or nothing at all
If it's love there is no in between
Why begin, then cry
For something that might have been
No, I rather have nothing at all
So please, don't bring your lips so close to my cheek
Don't smile or I'll be lost beyond recall the kiss in your eyes
The touch of your hand makes me weak
And my heart may grow dizzy and fall
And if I fell under the spell of your call
I would be caught in the undertow
So you see, I've got to say no, no
All or nothing at all
All or nothing at all