Taylor Swift's "Fifteen" and The New Watch Phenomenon

Alright, so this is my first blog. Something I decided to do just because it gives me one more outlet to put my thoughts and I guess not as many people know of it. First a quick explanation on the name of my blog. It is part of the verse Romans 13:12. I was looking for something that fit me and that would fit my blog. I want this to be a place of hope. Where my hope may spread to others. My faith is a huge part of my life and so when I was looking for Bible verses that would fit, that one stuck out to me and I knew the moment I saw it, it would be the title.

The other thing I want to say to all bloggers out there is that you may not agree with everything I say. But if I say something you do not agree with, at least let it be a proposition to a different view than you own. I do not mean offense to anyone with anything I say.

So anyways, moving on.

In her song, "Fifteen," Taylor Swift sings that "when you're fifteen and someone tells you they love you; you're gunna believe it." I think she's only a small fraction of the way there. I believe that no matter what age a human being may find themselves at, when someone tells you they love you, you're going to believe them. Why wouldn't you? We all have this desire to be loved, and we desperately want someone to fulfill this desire. However, no one will ever understand this desire as much as our Heavenly Father who gave us these desires. This is also why no one fills it as well as He does, because He created this desire.

I was riding on a bus back from Orlando where I was part of a large gather of Catholic college students for a conference and I really got to thinking about this. I recently ended a relationship and have been slowly and surely dealing with the hurt that comes with any breakup. Most people, myself included, tend to get very upset when someone fails to fulfill this desire we have. And yet, we must realize, that no one will ever fully fulfill our desire to be loved on this Earth because we are all going into the game handicapped. Each and every one us has a disordered desire for love and that is why we can never fulfill the desire of another human being. I'm not saying this as a negative thing, but merely as what I see as a truth. But why is this? Why can know human love to the capacity of the Almighty Himself?

I'm convinced Boston hit the nail right on the head, if only more people would listen to them. Boston sings "More than a feeling." See to love another is more than a feeling. It's a conscious decision. Everyday saying that you will love this person. I think when people look at love this way, when someone says that they can love someone and not like them, or not like something they are doing, the concept is a lot more easy to understand. So if we do our best to image the Father and Christ, we consciously make the choice to love always. Everyday. Selflessly, always for the good of the other. And this gives me hope because it means that if I can love this way on this Earth, thought I will never do it perfectly, I can obtain a glimpse of the love that I will, God willing, experience one day in Heaven.

On this same trip, it was a long trip, I came up with what I call the "New Watch Phenomenon." What I'm talking about really happens with all new things, at least for me, but I feel I notice it the most when I get a new watch. You see when I get a new watch, I do whatever I can to make it sure it says in the most pristine condition possible. I keep it in a case. I'm careful to not drop it. I'm careful to not rub it agaisnt any way for fear of it being scratched. I won't put in water, even if it's waterproof. I am very, very careful. However, as always happens, I somehow get a scratch or something on it. When this happens, you would think I would have owned this thing for years. I am no longer careful about how I handle it, and the condition deteriorates even more. I wonder how many are out there like me. And I wonder how many people, like myself I sometimes realize, put this same practice into relationships. When I meet someone new, I am very careful with them. You would think I was the most wonderful, amazing person in the world. And then something happens in the relationship. One scratch occurs. And all of a sudden it's like I stop caring about trying to be the best version of myself. It was a giant shock to me. But one that now that I recognize, I can fix. And I cannot wait until the next time I get a scratch. So I can take proper steps to ensure that this scratch remains alone.