Tink note: Posted over at Zoomers.ca in response to this week's "Writer's Challenge", Only the Lonely.  Decided, what the hell, I'd post it here.

Dedicated to my sister Helga who seemingly falls in love at a drop of a hat, quicker then even I!

Good night and have a better tomorrow...

ONLY THE LONELY --- WHAT'S LOVE GOTTA DO WITH IT?

Love is a serious problem when dealt with incorrectly.

These chances of improper love handling can increase dramatically as the lonely factor rises.

I have known a few people who have been struck with the ‘Dumb’ factor as they fall down the rabbit hole known as love, especially ‘Internet’ love, where the person(s) meets someone online, either through a dating site, chat site, or other site.

“I’ve met my soul mate!” is usually how the conversation begins with them to me. “He’s the one!”

I nod.  

“You’d like him; he’s a lot like you, only funnier!”

Right there, I do NOT like this guy.

Funnier than me?

The hell you say.

Days later:  “He left me! FOR HIS WIFE!”

“Wait, what?”

“Yeah, he said he was going to try and work out his marriage! THAT BITCH filled his head with lies about me! That is it! Has to be! The only way to explain it!”

“Uh, he was married?”

“Yes, yes, but he told me he wasn’t in love with her anymore, just me, I was his true soul mate!”

“How romantic!”

“Isn’t it though?”

I shake my head.

“He’ll be back! WE ARE ONE!”

And it goes on like this for days, weeks, months, even years.

Yes, my friends, love, if done wrong, can go on for years.

Painful rash, swelling of the rectal glands, irritability, bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose, etc. etc.

The Lonely keep wandering the streets looking for an angry fix, a ‘Aren’t you a cutie?’ will do in a jam but what they really look for is ‘THE ONE’, their mate, if the word has to be used.

They will growl at you, literally, if you try to tell them that maybe, just maybe, this isn’t the ONE and maybe they should just stop looking and maybe, once they’re not looking, THE ONE will show up for legit.

“I’ve tried! I really have…BUT I LOVES HIM!!!!”

Lather.

Rinse.

Repeat.

Then something happens, “I’m over him!”

“Really?”

“Yes, you were right, what’s the matter with me?”

“I don’t know, maybe got the flu?”

Course, relapses can and will occur.

“He called me! He wants me back! I’m so lucky!”

Lather.

Rinse.

Repeat.

OVER AND OVER AGAIN!

This doesn’t just affect the lonely, I’ve seen supposedly happily married people get hit and run off to Paris(Texas) to be with their ONE!

And not just women, men have fallen down the rabbit hole and been sucked into, “You’ll like her, she’s just like you, only funnier!”