What do you know about love?

“What do you know about love?”

I hear this statement a lot from elderly people when they see young folks who talk about been ‘In love’

Those times in college, or University here in this part of the world, you see two people, full of energy, passion, mostly full of indecision, but just ready to go all the way in love, or so they think.

You know what I’ve found out?

Most times, many of these relationships don’t survive the outside of the four walls of school.

You know why?

It brings me back to that question; what do you know about love?

After few years outside of those walls, I now fully subscribe to same line of thought.

Except for the very few, who were very deliberate with their lives and already know where their lives were headed, these few alone are the ones I have seen able to keep such relationships and even get married.

For the majority, many don’t even have the slightest view of what holds for them after graduation.

After the euphoria of attaining a bachelor’s degree, in a country like ours, reality starts staring. pressures from every side, after the NYSC service, the big question many are left to answer is, 

‘What Next?’

That question, very simple, yet has dire consequences if not answered with conviction and aggregate actions.

In the midst of these pressures, starting out in life, choosing a path; because for many, their paths are undefined until later after the POP. The hustle to get a well paying job, sometimes the distance between where these young lovers live, and sometimes if privileged to come from well to do families, their parents have different plans for them, probably set them up for further studies outside the country, or induct them into the family business, or set up something they can manage.

You can imagine now, coping with all of these uncertainties and yet add the pressures love brings.

Truth is, young folks hardly know what love entails. Beyond the mushy feelings, romance, sweet talks, another word for love is sacrifice.

How many know what this is?

Certainly not folks who still get monthly or weekly allowance from home or those who don’t even know why they’re studying whatever it is they are, and which is the truth in many cases. Or those who can’t even make a decision on their own without the interference of parents.

I really can’t blame them.

We were young and inexperienced, what else could have been expected?

There’s a contrast in realities between the adult and young adult.

It is experience!

Experience is why that popular adage says, “What an elderly one sees while sitting, even if the young should climb a tree, he still won’t see”

Outside the four walls of school, the scales are shaken off! The blind is taken off.

R E A L I T Y!

That’s the word!

You get to see the way things are , deal with real people, encounter new challenges, form new relationships, and amidst all these will the feelings survive?

I don’t see it in this particular case.

Such is the reason why today when I see young folks in school professing love, I just smile and let them enjoy themselves till reality sets in.

This is not me been sadistic or pessimistic but having come out to see things for myself, I have come to agree with those who went ahead of us and told us same things back then.

“What do you know about love?”

That question holds a whole lot!

I’ll take a pause here. I want to think deeper on this.

I’ll be back to share my remaining thoughts.

What do you think?

Am I being negative? Or maybe I’m just seeing from a briskly surface?

Please drop your comments.