Is love bartered for a laugh? Life style in the 21st century

In this present generation, and I say present generation because I have not been in the past, the concept of a ‘laugh’ rather than ‘love’ has been used as the bait to ‘hook’ us the people we want by our side, especially where relationships are concerned. However, as many would have to testify, to love is not to a laughing matter. And because of this some of us have abstained from relationships in fear of not getting “love” but rather a “laugh” (someone who is using them to satisfy their own needs). Maybe the modern day commercialization and selfishness in terms of relationships is the reason why stable relationships are such a rare commodity. In the Dot com era, it’s all about ‘what can you do for me”…and not ‘what can we share together’. Despite this phenomenon, brought about by some opportunists, I believe that with God’s guidance such hooliganism can stop. Although men’s kindness attracts women, the heart should be the principle decision maker to find out this. Women should not be taken up by a man’s charming smile or the parting in his hair. Because it’s not whether his parting is right but whether his heart is right. Remember you can fix up a man‘s clothes but you can’t fix up his heart; so ignore the sweet nothings and instead look for a deeper kind of relationship- one not motivated by simply words. Unlike women, men look for ladies who are motivated and willing to serve others ( and take care of themselves last) and who look good in their earnings, necklaces, high heels and mini-skirts. This, my friends, is a manifestation of a “laugh” instead of “love”. A, as the Good Book says, a good partner is one who is more concerned about their Maker than their mirror. As St Peter says, and let me paraphrase him, “do not look for outward beauty that depends on jewellery, but an internal beauty with the everlasting charm of a gentle spirit”. Remember that true love is not based on finding the right person but on you being the right one. So, if you want to “love” not “laugh”, speak truly to your partner and always make sure that your guide is the holy word (love) not and not selfishness (laugh); if you do you, will have ended this habit of bartering love for the simple pleasures of the world. For the ‘laugh’ ends up into sorrow, but true love reflects the divine soul of the image of God. rbuteera@yahoo.com The author is an independent analyst/researcher