[keekeeree]

How many times have you all been in love?

I've been there three times. And each time was as different as the women I was in love with. My first love was during my senior in high school and first year in college. We were together about a year when she ended it, which tore me up emotionally like never before or since. My second love I married. We were together eleven years and when it came to an end, it was a fairly peaceful split. We both knew it was over, but it was still tough on me because I was still in love with the woman she used to be. In hindsight, I probably should have tried harder to save the marriage, but I have no regrets where my life has gone since then. And my last love was a two year relationship, a year of which we lived together. This was the first time I actually felt like I "fell" in love. It was fast and very intense. The whole of that relationship was a rollercoaster. The highs were great and the lows were the bottom. I ended that relationship some months back.

The strange thing is that in a way, I still love all three of these women and I think I always will. I'm still great friends with the first, and occassionally wonder "what if". She recently got married to a great guy. The ex-wife I hardly see or speak to anymore, but still wish her the best in her life. The third I'm still friends with also, but there's not that "what if" feeling because I know in my heart that we just didn't work for the long haul.

[Mastrap]

I don't think you ever forget your first love. Much to the annoyance of my future wife who was not at all amused when I got a sentimental phone call last Christmas...

She only calmed down, rapidly, when I pointed out to her that we're both great friends with the first guy she lived with.

[dencamp]

I was going to put 1 but decided on 3. The older you get, the more you look back on relationships that you had when you were younger and reinterperate them. The person that I am now mighht not have fallen in love with the person, but at that time in my life it was absolutely real.

It mostly has to do with how I see myself when I was younger. I can't help but seeing the years between 18 and 28 as a time that I was too f'd up to be in an honest relationship. Once I let go of any notion of needing someone, I met the person that inspired the urge to answer 1 in the poll.

[willed]

Don't you think that if your answer is any higher than one, then you haven't really been in love?

[wdlove]

For me it is just once. I fell in love at first sight and have been happily married for over 31 years.

[cenutrio]

I don't recall, way too much Seinfeld influence.

[Truepop]

Originally posted by willed:
Don't you think that if your answer is any higher than one, then you haven't really been in love?

No that is a sole mate.

Love is a two way street and if one does not love someone back than it is no more. Love can be the highest expression you have towards someone but can fade due to outside influences and really is not kept to one person even if one does love that person all one's life but cause love can be shared, maybe not the act of expressing one's love but that's something different.

I have debated this many of times with the few who I have been lucky enough to at least give me the illusion that I was in love. Women are crazy and emotionally unsound beings. I am glad to be an apathetic guy who, at will, can be emotional but thank God it is not all the time.

-- my two cents.

[mitchell_pgh]

I'm a sucker... My high school sweetheart, a girl from college, and my current girl.

[Misanthrope]

Once. And that was enough too.