I learned to fall in love. Twice now.

I reach out to people. People I like. And respect. Doesn't necessarily mean that they reach back. Which is all right. Because not everyone is curious. I'm really looking for curious people. People who want to know more about me. And about life, in general. I wanna know more about them. That's why I reach out. To test their curiosity. I know a few people who are very curious about me. But not so curious about others. I find that a little bit strange. I'm curious about just about everybody. When I see a stranger, my curiosity quotient clicks in. Automatically. I begin to imagine things. Who is he/she? And when I get to know someone, I ask, 'What makes him/her tick?' I've discovered that virtually everyone is unique. In one way or another. And I'm constantly searching for that uniqueness. My Italian true love. She's very, very unique. In so many ways. No need to elaborate here. Because she likes her privacy. And I respect it. Maybe I talk about her too much. More than she'd like. But I can't help it. Because she has more positive influence on me than any other being. That certainly makes her unique. I wasn't always interested in people. I used to ignore strangers. Didn't even talk to 'em if I sat next to 'em on a plane or a bus or a train. That was in my younger days. Before I got lit up. Early on, I probably wasn't even capable of falling in love. I hadn't yet decided who or what I am. Takes a while. A feeling out process. I was born into a strange world. Inhabited by strange people. Or so it seemed. Gradually, I became brave and courageous. I reached out. That made a big difference. Because I learned to fall in love. Twice now. --Jim Broede