Wait. There can’t be young love if someone is a yellow-bellied, one-eyed son of a prairie dog. Yep. A big chicken, a ‘fraidy-cat, a coward.
That would make young love avoided, unrequited, or ill-timed, which doesn’t mean it didn’t happen or that it was love lost. In fact, it doesn’t have to be young for it to have happened, or not.
We all have the instinct to discern whether we should like or love a person or if we should run away as fast as we can. Sometimes, the signals get crossed, and we think that other person is great—until we realize we should’ve run away in the first place. Then, there are the ones who never seem to be in the right place at the right time.
True stories. All of them.
Whatever happens, those decisions shape us and shouldn’t be regretted.
When I was in college, I met a dreamy guy at the first university event of our first year. I had a boyfriend and let the guy know it. I kinda blurted it out while we chatted, because I didn’t want to lead him on. In turn, he told me that I’d been crazy to go off to school with an attachment miles and miles away. Probably true. But, young love…
But with hindsight to look back for me, I had been a yellow-bellied, one-eyed son of a prairie dog for using that boyfriend as a security blanket. I went to a university where I knew no one. Having a boyfriend in my hometown was comforting as a part of my identity.
Despite not being able to persuade me, this sweetie and I became friends. I adored him. He was always a gentleman (even if he did drop not-subtle hints that I should dump my beau). A year later, I was free, but he wasn’t. It seemed to be one of those ill-timed things. Ah, young love…
Was it because I had been a chicken about letting go of the high school boyfriend that I’d clearly outgrown? Perhaps.
Did it matter? No.
Was it because I knew his crowd of friends drank heavily at parties and had a reputation for more than that? Most likely that played a part for both of us.
Do I regret that we never dated? No.
We remained friends throughout our university years of ups and downs. My crush (apt word!) morphed over time into a respect for what he’s accomplished in life. Otherwise, this post would be about the possible young love that got away. We were never each other’s to get. There was an attraction but not enough something to compel either one of us to act on it.
The complete opposite happened the moment I met my husband during my senior year. *does the math* Over 22 years ago, there was no running away from that young love. <3
For fun, here’s a tiny YouTube snippet from the Disney movie 101 Dalmatians when the puppies call the bad guy on TV yellow livered: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYXFsQLg9ns. It’s similar to the Stuart LIttle line (that I couldn’t find a decent reference for anywhere!).
I’d love to hear your young love stories. Did you experience young love that didn’t happen? Or, did happen? Do you know anyone who was “yellow” about love?