LJ Idol, Week 14 --The One I Love: We Are the People You Hate

[rm]

"Hey, do you mind if I write a paean to Patty for LJ Idol this week?"

"Well, okay," she said, blinking pseudo-shyly at me and definitely dubious.

You see, Patty and I are those people on the subway you hate.

Not the ones who make out with their hands in each other's jeans and their tongues exposed (advice to the young and inexperienced: MTV is a bad blueprint for good kissing); I still yell at those people in my best Snape-explains-why-you-personally-are-the-decline-and-fall-of-civilization voice. I mean the cute ones who nuzzle and coo at each other, or, as (and wow, do I hate to invoke this) Seinfeld says, are "schmoopy."

We are schmoopy, although we don't particularly use the L-word.

At first, that was kinda weird to me, because one just does; or I do, anyway. I've always been the person who says it first or early or strangely, and I've tended to pay the price for it, in discomfort or at least in long explanations as regards my intent; certainly, I got very used to the idea that my wounds would always come in certain forms.

But after a bit, not using the L-word became this awesome way of expanding my expression of enthusiasm. It's much more fun for me to say and hear specific enthusiasms, and we're freed from the tyranny of the worst relationship bad habit there is: saying "I love you" like it's a question.

Last year, around this time, she and I had been hanging out, but not in any way that approached dating, while all these people were insisting that she was totally into me, I didn't know what was going on, and I was totally reluctant to make a move because I didn't want to be one of those old people (we're eleven and a half years apart) who puts younger folks in situations they don't know how to say no to.

So I got the completely stupid idea that I'd get one of those ValentineR things on my journal, and send her one of those valentines that's only revealed if you get a reciprocal one. Patty, being a sensible soul, wanted nothing to do with the entire thing, and so I was thwarted for several more weeks until I finally asked her what was up after I'd been on a set for 17.5 hours with James Gandolfini and an evil chihuahua that caused me to miss what would have otherwise maybe been our first date. Whew. How you feel after reading that sentence? That's how I felt after that day.

We've been together less than a year and live together thanks to a series of serendipitous and completely insane circumstances involving the previously mentioned star of The Sopranos and an actor-dog, two well-known authors, my roommate who moved to Macau, Patty's old lease, Mercury retrograde and the vagaries of the Internet in Cyprus.

So she pops bugs and I show her how to kill people with cutlery; we make up little songs to each other and the cats, and I tell her stories half asleep, which generally amount to incoherent, cracktastic spins on our fandoms. It's a nice life, and it's plenty sugary sweet awesome without that troublesome word.

Comments

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

It thrills me to see you so happy in so many areas of your life, and most especially in the heart.

[40sw.livejournal.com]

is there a special pact involved in not saying the l-word or does it just not come up?

[rm.livejournal.com]

It came up early on and we've never found a need to revisit it. But it's not like we cut our fingers with shells and made a bargain about it.

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

:)

I remember when my best friend told me she loved me; she's never said it before or since and somehow her being LESS verbally expressive than I am made it mean more. It was sweet.

Still, I like the image of you guys cutting your fingers on shells and mingling the blood :)

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

You two are so adorable.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

This is definitely my favorite of your ljidol entries, but that's hardly surprising since I'm also very much of a sappy romantic. I am exceptionally happy for both of you.

[lilerthkwake.livejournal.com]

This is great.

[blueashke.livejournal.com]

Aww.. :gags: So very cute!

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

schmoopy is good. Y'all are a cute couple indeed.

Nicely written.

[firebirdgrrl.livejournal.com]

Awww. That is awesome:)

[miep.livejournal.com]

you should see them in comments. utterly insane. terribly cute.

[abbismom.livejournal.com]

You took the typical way to write about this topic and put a whole new twist on it. I really appreciate how you have a thread (the L-word) throughout. Excellently written!

[katharwen.livejournal.com]

You two look so cute together. It always makes me warm and fuzzy inside to see two people who are young and in love. :)

[beemerbike.livejournal.com]

you two are cheestastickly cute.

[crazycatlady.livejournal.com]

You look serenely happy in that picture. It should be framed somewhere :)

[dipping_sauce]

Awwww.

[rufus.livejournal.com]

heh, I kind of associate schmoopy with nauseating, which you two are completely not in any way.

sugary sweet awesome for the win!

[nisaa.livejournal.com]

aww . . . yay!!!

[delchi.livejournal.com]

Ok, so there are such things as happy endings. I stand corrected , and happily so.

[ladypeculiar.livejournal.com]

Awwwwwwwwwwww. You two are awesome.

I'm particularly glad you're awesome, otherwise I'd have insane guilt issues from having moved away.

But you are, indeed, awesome!! I can predict awesome futures!!!

Also, a very Auspicious Year of the Rat to y'all.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Thank you! She and I are both rats too!

So hey, I have a ton of W2's and such for you -- mail to China or what?

[ladypeculiar.livejournal.com]

Actually, Chris is coming out here in a few weeks, I'll email you his address. Thanks for reminding me!

[lolliejean.livejournal.com]

I'm hearing the Beatles in my head... The Word

You said it. : )

[kittenboo.livejournal.com]

what a wonderful story, makes me feel happy :)

[unsold-capacity.livejournal.com]

Oh god, me and my boyfriend are those people on the Subway, too. Very schmoopy. This made me happy, beautiful entry.

[jslorentz.livejournal.com]

You two are awesome. :) Pictures always say a thousand words.

And I highly endorse ignoring age. My partner and best friend is ten and a half years older than me and the only time we notice is when we're relishing the scandalous looks we like to create.

And oh yeah, we're "the people you hate", too.

[chite.livejournal.com]

Schmoopy is good, and tends to not bother other people who are in love.

It's great to see you so happy.

[lordrexfear.livejournal.com]

killing with cutlery is a good skill to teach your "l-word"... right? I guess so..

James Galdofini should be the middle man for all relationships in some manner....

like when I find my paramour, we'll both be "Dude, Galdofini was so awesome in 8 MM, but even more awesome in The Mexican"

and that will be when I'll know I've found the one. :)

[anamacha.livejournal.com]

nothin' wrong with schmoopy -- those who have a problems with it are usually just jealous. It's rather unwise to judge relationships of others by your own criteria, anyway.

[walkertxkitty.livejournal.com]

You and your beloved lead such a thrilling life! It sounds like you were scripted for each other. I can tell how much love exists just by how you talk about her here.

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

The first two times I read L-word, I was thinking lesbian. I'm a dork.

And it's nice to see something good come from a Mercury retrograde.

[lacombe.livejournal.com]

This is my favorite of your entries so far- very wise pieces that sneak up on your embedded within. Nice job.

::: winces and votes for her, knowing that he was only one vote behind :::

:-)